Old Souls Young Eyes
by Stargategeek
Summary: Nikola Tesla has been missing ever since the destruction of the Old City Sanctuary 6 months ago. He disappeared without a word and without a trace. All of the sudden, a little boy shows up on the steps of Helen's new underground Sanctuary claiming to be the aforementioned genius. Nothing is ever simple with Nikola Tesla
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The highway outside of Old City was dim and surrounded by large and menacing looking trees.

The only light came from the cars traveling to and fro, either going to or running away from.

A large bus came rather quietly down the road. It's passengers either asleep or occupying themselves silently.

Only one bothered to keep his gaze out the large side window.

"Next stop, Old City Bus Station, we'll be stopping for twenty minutes then we'll be off to..."

He stopped listening, this was his stop.

He reached below his seat to gather his things. He was hindered when his arm would only reach so far and let out a frustrated huff. He would never get used to this.

The old lady sitting beside him noticed his plight and let out a small chuckle.

"Here, let me help you," she said softly and reached down and pulled up his backpack. "Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

He took the bag from her.

"Thank you," he clutched it to his chest and opened the zip to double check everything was in there then zipped it back up.

The old lady kept watching him with a bemused smile.

"What's a darling thing like you traveling alone for?" she asked him.

He bit back the sneering "Excuse me?" remembering the state he was in.

"I'm...on a mission," he shrugged.

"Are your parents waiting for you?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Grandparents?"

"Nope."

"Are you running away?

He rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm here to find someone."

"Your birth mother?" she looked at him with sympathy and he resisted the urge to groan.

"No, I am here to find the woman I love," he said with determination and the old woman's mouth flapped wordlessly before she sat back in her chair and looked away.

Aha, that shut her up good.

To look at him he looked like every other 8 year old from an upper middle class family, except maybe a bit tidier. And the two stooges that called themselves his parents tried to convince him of the same, but he knew the truth, and he knew where to go and who to find that would fix his problem.

The bus pulled into the station and parked, after a moment or two of waiting for the driver to do his checks he sprung up from his seat and quickly disembarked from the large vehicle into the old station.

A couple nearby him ran into each other's arms and embraced with a flurry of kisses and giggles. Two children beside him ran into the arms of their father.

Maybe he should've called ahead, then she'd be waiting for him, of course, she wouldn't believe it was him and this was not the place to have that discussion.

He flung his backpack over his shoulder and began walking towards the exit where a row of taxis waited.

He got to the nearest one and peaked in through the window.

"Can you get me to Holm Street?" He asked, appalled by the fact he had to be on tip toe to do this.

"Yeah," the driver gave him a funny look but nodded.

"Alright then," he went to the door and climbed inside.

"Do you plan to pay?" asked the driver.

Well, duh, he wasn't exactly going to hold him up with a water gun now was he?

"Yes," he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a credit card.

"Alright," the guy shrugged.

The taxi began to pull away from the bus depot.

"What's on Holm Street for you?" the driver asked casually.

"Just somebody," the boy shrugged. "Somebody that could answer a lot of questions for me."

"Oh, adopted huh?" the driver sniggered.

"No, I know who my birth mother is, why does everyone think that an 8 year old traveling by himself is automatically adopted or a run away," he growled and the driver jumped a little bit.

"Whoa! Just making conversation," he defended.

The rest of the trip was silent from there.

In a few short minutes the cab pulled up to the curb on Holm Street.

"Thank you," the boy handed the driver the card.

"Hey kid, you sure this is the street you wanted? Looks a bit dangerous to me," said the driver.

"It's the right street," he said without hesitation and without fear. He looked out the window at the dim street as if it were nothing.

"Do you need any help?" the driver asked again.

"Nope, I can take it from here," the boy took the card back and stuck it neatly in his pocket.

He stepped out of the car and began walking away.

"Hey kid!" the driver called. "You sure?"

"Yes," he waved him off. "And I'm not a kid."

He muttered the last part under his breath.

Adults, so presumptuous and annoying.

He turned off Holm street into an alley towards a door marked Sewer Entrance. With a bit of manipulation and a hair pin stolen from fake-mother Sandra, he unlocked it and entered inside, shutting the door behind him.

He removed his backpack and pulled out a flashlight before continuing.

He'd been here only once before, but thanks to his eidetic memory he remembered exactly where to go.

After a good fifteen minutes of walking he came to a door with a pin pad and a retina scanner.

Again using the bobby pin he pried open the casing. This would only take a short moment.

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

I'm back, sort of.

Sometimes the plot nubbins don't stay quiet. I started writing this when Sanctuary was cancelled but left it alone, I came back to it and realized I still liked it, so I am posting it for you for your entertainment.

I hope you like it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Henry came into Helen's office holding his tablet.

"I've just got a bleep from my sensors, somebody's tampering with the sewer entrance pad," he stated.

Will was lounging on the couch in Magnus' office.

"What?" he sat up.

"When?" Helen asked.

"Just now," Henry showed her his tablet.

"SCIU?" she asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"Can you bring up the feed?" asked Will, standing to join them.

"Yeah, just give me a sec," Helen got up so that Henry could slip into her seat to bring it up on the big screen.

Just as he brought up the feed, whoever it was had unlocked the door and dashed inside.

"Damn," Henry cursed.

"Whose code did he use?" asked Helen.

Henry pressed a few buttons on his tablet.

"Uh...it says it's Tesla's," Henry looked up a Helen.

"Tesla?"

"That doesn't make any sense, we have his prints entered in the database, he could just use the scanner," Helen shrugged.

"We know that, but does he?" asked Will.

"How do you think we got the prints?" asked Helen.

"Off a wine glass," shrugged Will.

"We haven't seen him since..." Henry looked up to Helen apprehensively.

They all knew the last time they'd seen the vamp was the night the Old City Sanctuary blew up.

He hadn't shown up to the rendezvous point, hadn't left a message or any clue to where he went. He just disappeared and Helen half feared it was because of a certain gesture she had bestowed on him before the building had blown.

Either way, his sudden reappearance didn't bode well with any of them.

"Can you rewind the feed?" Helen asked.

Henry nodded and the footage paused as the intruder came into view.

All eyes widened.

"Well...certainly wasn't expecting that," said Will.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

It was magnificent, everything he has dreamed it would be and more. Much more.

The boy stood in the transporter. The sphere taking him into the heart of the underground Sanctuary.

He was amazed, spellbound as the beautiful, almost city like appearance of the Sanctuary came into view.

The sphere slowed down and it's doors opened and he stepped on to the platform. His hands on the straps of his backpack.

"Wow," he muttered.

He shook his head.

There would be time to admire the place later, right now he had somewhere he needed to be.

He ducked behind a bush quickly as a group of abnormals ran to the sphere and looked inside.

They shrugged.

He knew they'd be watching, but he had no time for politics and blood checks. He needed to find her. If anyone was going to believe him it was her.

The group ran back and he darted behind them into an elevator type contraption and hit the button labeled Magnus' Office.

It had been too long, he smirked.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

"They found nothing in the pod," sighed Will as Magnus entered her office again and sat on her couch pondering.

"Maybe he's an abnormal?" she suggested.

"With Tesla's code?" Will said skeptically.

"You never know, he might've given it to him," she suggested.

"Or it could be his long lost son, and hell has frozen over," suggested Will.

"Sarcasm duly noted, but can you think of anything better?"

"It's one of his tricks, it's always one of his tricks, can't you see that. This kid is some kind of vampire hybrid child, with your DNA, because he's weirdly obsessed and creepy, and it's Tesla! Why do you keep thinking he'll ever change?"

Helen sighed.

"Let's just say I've known him a lot longer than you."

"So then you should know better. It's Tesla! The man has systematically driven this whole place on its rear and just when you think you have him pinned he goes off and does something completely out of left field."

"I know, but this isn't his style, say what you want but he'd never put a child up to this, I know him well enough to know he would never hurt a child, trust me on that."

Will sighed.

"Alright, I'm going to help with the search."

Helen nodded and let him leave.

He was right to a point. Tesla did like to throw curve balls into her already rocky life. But as she had stated before, it did keep him interesting.

But this...she couldn't explain this and she hoped her vampire would suddenly appear and explain all this.

She sighed and went over to her desk spinning her chair around to come face to face with...

"Hello," he waved.

She jumped and let out a screech.

"Nice to see you too," the boy rolled his eyes.

"What? How? Who are you?" she managed to say.

The boy smiled at her.

What was he? Eight? He was wearing a school uniform, white collared shirt with a deep navy tie and a matching navy sweater with white stripes and the school emblem on the corner. He wore dark dress pants, black lace shoes, his hair was neatly styled, and he wore a black coat over top. For a child he was dressed for business.

"Well I'm hurt if you haven't figured that out yet, Helen," he grinned up at her.

"How do you know..."

"It's me Helen," he leaned up to her. "It's Nikola."

~~~~Author's Notes~~~~

Here's a new chapter for you, short and sweet. I hope you enjoy it. The next chapters longer, I promise you, and will give you a bit more information on Nikola's condition.

For the curious few who are awaiting updates on my fics I have news for you:

Here We Meet Again: Officially on pause. I've recently discovered how displeased I am with this fics outcome. I feel it is just sloppy writing on my part. If i were to finish it now it would just be a rushed, tacked on, cheap ending to get it out of my hair, and I like the initial concept enough not to do that. The question is whether I take it down and completely rework it, or just leave it as is. More on that decision later.

Within Me Burning: I would like to finish this one but the lack of readership is leaving my a little uninspired. So we'll see.

Cowards Die Many Times: I will probably rewrite this one , or scrap it entirely. It bugs me.

I hope this answers and questions you may have pertaining to my work. Love and thanks to all who have continued to read and send me encouragements, they are all blessings to this writer's soul.

Thanks,

Geek


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Helen, Will, Henry and Kate sat there completely flabbergasted.

"Tesla?" Henry said, his face crestfallen. None of them could believe what was seated before them.

The child sat on the chair across from them, one leg crossed against the other, both arms resting on the armrests, his back straight.

"I swear, it's me," he said.

"How? Will asked.

"I can't tell you that, because frankly I don't know, believe me it was a shock when I first found out as well." The child certainly sounded like Tesla.

This eight year old kid had either studied Tesla for months getting all his mannerisms down to a T, or it truly was the man himself, shrunk into the body of a boy.

"Start from the beginning," said Helen.

"Ok, six months ago, I was fired from SCIU and I came back to the Sanctuary and helped save the day...again...Helen's plan is in the works, she confessed that she loved me..."

"She what?" spluttered Will.

"I did not!" Helen exclaimed. "Nikola, stop..."

"Please save all comments until after sharing time," Nikola held his hands up to silence them. He paused and double checked that no one was going to interrupt him. "...good. Now, Helen confessed that she loved me, we kissed. Henry and I went to stop the onslaught of abnormals headed her way and then ran to escape the explosion then afterwards separated to meet at the rendezvous point. While making my way there I got struck over the head. When I came to I was in the body of an eight year old in a hospital with no memory and these people pretending to be my parents are telling me my name is Peter and that I was in special treatment for the past year. They took me home, tried to make me think I was this kid, but then one day I got zapped by the toaster and it all came back to me. Everything. Helen, Edison, my vampirism, everything. At least, memory wise. Now, I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure I know who did this to me."

"SCIU?" Helen offered.

"Exactly. So for the past six months I've been living as an eight year old with people who are not my parents, and for the past three I've been gaining intel, but then my fake mother thinks I'm relapsing or something and brings in the "specialists" who I recognized as SCIU employees. With all my suspicions confirmed I knew I had to get out of there and find you so that you could help me return to my true state."

The four of them sat there with there mouths hanging open. This was unbelievable.

This was Tesla...there was no denying it, but the whole premise of it was...was like a bad Star Trek episode or something.

"Your memories came back to you when you got zapped by a toaster? Kate asked skeptically.

"More or less, I may have electrocuted my self trying to pry a bagel out of there with a fork," he shrugged. "What can I say, I was an idiot before I remembered I am a genius."

All four of them seemed to roll their eyes simultaneously.

"Can't you ever just come here with a normal problem? Like cavities, or someone trying to kill you," Will groaned.

"Hey I don't come up with this stuff, it just seems to happen to me," he raised his hands defensively.

"How is any of this possible?" asked Helen.

"Well if I knew that then I wouldn't have come looking for your help now would I?" huffed Nikola.

"Then why did you come here?" Helen huffed back, even as an eight year old he infuriated her.

"Because, I'm stuck in an eight year old body and I can't do this by myself," he said honestly. "That and I missed you."

Will, Henry and Kate simultaneously turned green.

"Ok, Tesla or not, that just gave me the heebie-jeebies," muttered Kate.

"Tesla, as an eight year old can you promise not to flirt...with anyone!" exclaimed Will.

"I can't stop what's second nature," Nikola shrugged. "Yeesh, grow up!"

"You!" cried Will.

"Children!" barked Helen. "Can we all agree that that is definitely Tesla despite appearances," Helen reigned the conversation back in skillfully.

Everyone nodded.

"I most certainly agree," nodded Nikola.

They all gave him a look.

"And can we agree that SCIU probably had something to do with it?" confirmed Helen, everyone nodded again. "Then lets go from there and not nitpick about all the...strange things, alright?"

"I could probably get a hack into SCIU with Tesla's help," offered Henry. "Might give us an idea as to what they were planning."

"Do that," nodded Helen.

"I'll call some of my contacts, see if I can get anything about this situation from them," said Will.

"And I'll...make coffee," sighed Kate.

The three stood up and began to leave.

"And Katiebear if you could make a sandwich with that coffee that would be great. I've been on a bus since this morning, all I've had to eat was a bag of Doritos and a piece of gum," Nikola clutched his stomach.

Kate sighed.

"Fine."

They all exited the office with quick efficiency.

Helen was left to stare at the precocious eight year old.

"Well," she said.

"Well what?" Nikola grinned at her.

"This is your problem, shouldn't you be helping _my_ team with your problem," Helen gestured with her eyebrows for him to leave her office and his grin only grew.

"Oh I will, but since we're alone there is something I want to talk to you about," he stood up and walked over to sit beside her on the couch. "About the last time we saw each other."

Helen looked increasingly uncomfortable.

"Can we not talk about this now when you look...like this," she groaned, her hands gesturing wildly.

"We have to talk about it some time," Nikola was scooting closer, too close for comfort for Helen with an eight year old. "You kissed me," his grin widened further.

"It was a just in case kind of thing," Helen sighed.

"Just in case what?" he leaned forward.

"You know, just in case, in case i died or you died, or I never saw you again. Just in case," she shrugged.

"You love me," he grinned, and Helen rolled her eyes.

"I really don't want to talk about this right now," she moaned.

"And I love you," he continued and she suppressed the urge to groan.

"Can we please talk about this later when you're...not prepubescent, please," begged Helen.

"Alright," he shrugged. "Just thought I'd let you know. You know, in case."

"Know what?" Helen said nervously.

"That when I'm back to my normal state, after all is said and done, I'm going to kiss you senseless," he grinned widely and Helen shot up to her feet.

That had to be the strangest thing she'd ever heard coming from an eight year old.

"Ok, we're about done talking now," Helen was on her feet, trying to put distance between her and Nikola.

Nikola casually shuffled off the couch.

"Just giving you fair warning," he grinned deviously. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since...even in my dreams."

She both shivered with arousal and wanted to gag. It was Nikola...for certain...but it was so...not...eugh...

Helen had to steady herself on her desk.

"Please, save it for when we get you back to normal, please, you have no idea how...weird this is," Helen pleaded.

"Alright, I promise, I won't try to take advantage of you while I'm like this, honestly some thing's aren't even at the stage where they function properly anyways, but I can do this," he spread his arms wide and before she could leap out of the way his arms were wrapped around her hips, his face smooshed into her abdomen as he enveloped her into a tight hug.

Helen went rigid.

"Nikola what are you doing?" she asked tightly.

"I am truly a man!" Nikola exclaimed and Helen growled, especially when she felt a small hand just graze over her butt.

With a swift jerk she shirked him off and glared at him.

"Get. Out," she bit.

Nikola's face dropped.

"You wouldn't hit a child," he backed away.

"Just try me," she growled. "Now go and help Henry before I make sure you grow up to be a eunuch."

Nikola yelped and scurried out of the room, even leaving his backpack behind as he went.

Helen went and sat down at her desk, her head dropping into her hands.

A moment later the door opened and Nikola peeked his head in.

"Sorry, I...forgot my bag...can I..." he crept in and gingerly grabbed his bag.

He made it to the door and paused.

"You know Helen you truly look beautiful tonight," he started to say but Helen had grabbed the nearest paperweight she could reach and hurled it at the boy.

"Get!" she snarled.

Nikola quickly ran for the door and just managed to make it out before the heavy object pelted him.

Helen groaned.

She hoped she wouldn't have to be stuck with him through puberty. Please god, anything but that!

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Greg Addison paced angrily in his office at SCIU headquarters.

"I gave you one job, one job! Make sure he doesn't leave your sights, and you can't even do that," he turned to the two officers behind him. "Why the hell did I hire to ex-marines if you can't even keep track of a simple eight year old!"

Dr. Coates sat on one of the leather couches to the left of the two men Addison was currently reaming at.

"He's not just a simple eight year old," she chipped in.

"We will come to that later," Addison scowled at her. "Now, I want you to know you are on probation because of this, and if we don't find him you two will take the fall for it, understood?"

They nodded.

"Good, you're dismissed," Addison's voice was dripping with venom and the two men did not stay to ask questions.

When the door shut behind them Addison straightened up and turned his cool gaze over to Coates.

"Now, when I first appointed you to head this project I asked you if your feelings for Tesla would get in the way of doing your duty," he cooly sat down at his desk. "Am I to think otherwise?"

Coates looked him in the eye.

"Whatever feelings I did harbor for him died when he chose another woman over this company," she answered sharply. "But, as for the recent development, there was always the risk that the block wouldn't hold him which means we'll just have to try again, keep him under observation longer before sending him back home to his parents."

"We have long term goals for Peter, goals that could change the game on the abnormal insurgence," Addison said sternly.

"I understand, but we are attempting a procedure that no one has ever tried, we have to be open to some failures."

"I don't like failures, failures like these lead to things blowing out of control, to abnormal ghettos, and unnecessary loss of life," Addison barked.

"The Old City Incident was an isolated case and it could've been dealt better on both sides..."

"Don't preach to me how things could've gone better, I know exactly how they could've gone, which is why I am dedicating this organization in making sure it never happens again!"

Coates nodded.

"I understand, I'll run some simulations, see if I can find where the weak spot might have been," she said, her confidence draining out.

"See that you do," Addison bit harshly before turning his mind to the work on his desk. "You're dismissed."

Coates stood up and walked out quickly, marching to the elevator and going down to the labs before she could be called back into that man's office to be scolded yet again.

It seemed he liked to punish her for having a personal relationship with the one man who had them so obviously fooled. When they found out what he'd really been doing there Addison had wanted him executed, practically anyways. Of course it would take a lot of leverage to convince the higher ups that there was enough justification for killing the Nikola Tesla. Since then he was loathed, mostly by Addison.

Probably because he should've known better.

She should've known better too. He was always talking about her, wistfully, he thought the world of her, she had seen it as much, but she liked to think that possibly she meant a little too.

"I'm back," she said, as she entered her lab. "You would not believe the mood Addison is in."

She took off her business coat and replaced it with her white labcoat.

"The man looks for any reason to bite my head off," she sighed, fixing her out from beneath the coat. "Thinks I had something to do with it...I know, what would I gain from botching my own experiment."

She flicked on another light.

"At least you understand right?" she turned to her conversationalist and smiled. "I knew you would."

She picked up her clipboard and began making notes on it.

"Now I have to run through the simulations, do some tests, I hope you don't mind," she started writing something on the clipboard.

"I miss our talks," she looked up at him and smiled again. "We used to have such wonderful conversations didn't we? You used to make me feel so special," she walked up to him and gently caressed the side of his face. "You used to look at me like...it doesn't matter," she retracted her hand. "You're here now aren't you, that's all that counts."

She leaned over and gently kissed the side of his mouth.

"I love you Nikki," she whispered then turned back to her clipboard to check on breathing apparatus, and his heart monitor, making sure all the leads were secure. Her hands gently ghosted over his arms and chest as she did so, making her cheeks redden slightly as she took care of him.

"Dr. Coates!" said one of the interns.

"Oh, yes, I'll be with you in a moment, I was just checking on the patient."

"No problem, we're ready to run the simulations," said the intern.

"I'll be right there," she nodded.

"Ok," the intern left.

She sighed and stepped back.

"I'll come back and check on you later, if that's all right. I look forward to it," she flicked off the light and left the observation room, closing the door behind her.

All that was left was the soft beeping coming from the heart monitor, and the soft glow of the electrical parts illuminating Nikola Tesla's cold, unconscious face.

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

Oooh, creepy.

Some fun for your guys, and hopefully a better idea of where this fic might go. I won't give all the information away just yet, but I promise more fun to come!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**~~~~Underground Sanctuary~~~~**_

"No, no, no!"

"Well do you have any better ideas?"

"I actually worked there for six months, believe me, I know."

"They probably changed some protocols once they realized you were stealing from them!"

"To help you! Be a bit more grateful, who do you think got you those rare and precious metals to create your little teleporting jacket?"

"Magnus, cause she did!"

"And where do you think she got them from? Please, I practically built this place before you were even born, I just didn't know about it."

Helen could hear the two children arguing from the elevator.

She stood at the door watching as Henry argued with the eight year old Nikola, almost heatedly.

Nikola sat on a high stool with his head in his hands, while Henry ranted and raved, pacing back and forth with his arms flailing all over the place. She couldn't help but smirk a little. They'd only been at this about an hour and they looked ready to kill each other.

"This is getting us nowhere Heinrich," grumbled Nikola in his prepubescent voice.

"It's Henry! Vlad! Henry! Not Heinrich, not Wonder Monkey, HENRY!"

"Wonder monkey?"

"I, eh, er...shut up!"

"Boys!" Helen decided this had gone on long enough.

"Helen, he's trying to hack into SCIU, with a level three round-a-bout and it won't work!"

"It will work, I've done it before!"

"Maybe if you were hacking into Futureshop! But for SCIU you will need a lot more firewalls and rerouters to even get past their first line of defense. I have practice with this, I know. I embezzled from them, remember?"

"That's what the round-a-bout is for, by the time they even process they've been hacked we'll already be halfway downloaded."

"That may be true, but why cut it so close when you can do all that and be out before even one alarm rings."

"The more complicated the hack the easier it is to trace!"

"Not if you're clever!"

"I've hacked into the White House!"

"You call that hard, the president uses the same password for everything!"

Helen shook her head.

"Boys, boys, boys!" she shouted over them. "Is there any sort of compromise here?"

Nikola looked over at Henry and Henry eyed him back.

"I can do a level three hack," Henry said confidently.

"Not with the right amount of firewalls you can't," Nikola chirped.

"Then you do them, I can get us in and downloaded quick enough while you distract them, you're good at that," Henry said bitterly.

"Helen!" Nikola whined.

"Don't let it get to your ego," Helen rolled her eyes. "Is that feasible, Nikola?"

He grumbled but nodded.

"Just because you're five doesn't mean you will garner any more sympathy than you used to," Helen whispered to him.

"Hey, I am eight and three quarters," he said indignantly. "And don't you forget it."

Helen couldn't resist the smile.

"Oh god, can you not flirt?"

Helen's smile dropped.

"Sorry Henry, just having a heart to heart," Helen backed away from Nikola.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Henry looked disgusted from where he was sitting.

"Oh grow up Henry!" Helen growled. "And get me that hack!"

They nodded as she marched out.

Nikola sighed and placed his cheek on his hand, watching her walk out.

"I love it when she's authoritative," he sighed dreamily.

"Dude, you're eight," mumbled Henry.

"Only on the outside," Nikola sat up. "I'm the same age as I ever was on the inside."

"So, twelve?" teased Henry.

"Watch it, cause if I'm stuck like this I'm going to become best friends with your child and teach it all my bad habits," Nikola threatened. "How'd you like a miniature me as a child?"

"I hope it's a girl," said Henry trying not to look as perturbed by the thought as he was.

"Even better, I can be her first crush," Nikola teased and Henry paled.

"You stay away from her!" Henry stood up an pointed at him wildly.

Nikola smirked.

"Now that we've come to an understanding, shall we get to work?" he spun around on the stool and hopped off to grab some necessary equipment to create the firewalls.

"I'm starting to think I liked you better when you worked for SCIU," Henry grumbled.

"Then you'd never get in," Nikola sneered.

Henry glared at him and he glared back.

~~~~Elsewhere~~~~

Helen sighed as she reached her office, plopping down heavily into her leather desk chair and letting out a long sigh.

She always felt like this, every time he came around, because he never just visited.

She groaned. She should've known when he hadn't arrived at the rendezvous point that he would show up later with trouble nipping at his heels. Her insecurities liked to make her think that he had ran away because of their kiss, but then again, she had initiated it which said more than a thousand words to him. He would stick around, to gloat if nothing else.

It didn't help that he was now stuck in an eight year old body.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not hear Will enter.

"You're fantasizing about him aren't you?"

Helen was visibly shaken by the interruption.

"Will, I...I was just thinking about something."

"Him. You were thinking about him. Don't try to deny it, I know all the signs."

Helen gave will a look.

"You know, you're beginning to sound like him."

"Is it...anything you want to talk about?"

"No, it's nothing like that...I'm just trying to think of SCIU's endgame. What could they possibly hope to gain by putting Nikola's consciousness into an eight year old boy, and on the other hand, where did they put the boy?"

"Maybe he's an orphan?"

"Possibly. But still. We're playing with only half the puzzle here."

Will nodded.

"Well he said they called him Peter, maybe there are records, we could ask Tesla, see where he was enrolled in school, see if we can find something on the people pretending to be his parents. Who knows maybe they aren't pretending."

"Do you really think SCIU would harm a real couple's child?"

"Maybe...if the child was already in an empty vessel. Parents would do anything for their children if desperate enough. SCIU finds out that a high class, well to do family has a child with severe brain damage, in a coma and they come and offer them a cure. The parents agree and the child is handed over to them. A few weeks later the child is returned to them awake and alive, if missing his memory, they think: small price to pay for having their son back. All of the sudden, SCIU has a sleeper cell genius in a family of influence that they can manipulate to their side when the times comes. Who better than the worlds foremost expert on electricity."

Helen mulled over Will's theory.

"Alright, assuming SCIU is diabolical to attempt such a scheme. I'll see what information I can get from Nikola."

"That shouldn't be hard knowing him," Will smirked.

"No," Helen shook her head.

"Is it true what he said?"

"Huh?" Helen looked up to meet her protege's eyes.

"About you kissing him before the destruction of the Old Sanctuary."

Helen felt a slight twinge of heat in her cheeks.

"Yes..."

"Why?"

"Because he was there, Will...and he was looking at me like...like he always does right before I go off and do something crazy and...and I felt I owed him something after all this time...just in case."

"You know, any man might think you care for him."

Helen laughed. "He's my oldest friend, I have to care for him, I'm the only one he has left."

"I'm sure he has someone other than you."

"Oh, he has his friendships, his own string of past relationships, of ex-lovers, and of contacts and partnerships that he has maintained over the years, same as I do. But I'm the only thing left of his past, just as he is mine. I look at him and I see the face of everyone who ever mattered to me. The Five, my father, my mother, my first crush, my best friend as a child, my favorite pet, the sweet neighbor who used to look after me when my father was out of town, my first mentor in University, every young boy I ever danced with, and so on and so forth."

"He's all those?"

Helen laughed again.

"Not implicitly, I didn't meet him until I was well into my early twenties and he certainly wasn't my first crush. But, he reminds me of them, in the way he moves and talks sometimes, it still carries hints of the old world with it and it hits me like a wave of nostalgia."

Will nodded.

"So that's why you keep him around."

"Yes...that and if I didn't he'd be working for SCIU."

"Didn't he do that anyway?"

"Well, yes, but for an ulterior motive that worked in my favor."

"I see."

Helen smiled.

"Will, I swear if you breathe a word of this to him-"

"I know, you'll send me to a cold dark place with no coffee and an endless stack of paperwork."

Will got up from the chair and began heading towards to the door. "Speaking of which, I have a distinctly terrifying pile already awaiting me."

Helen chuckled. "Go on then, I'll talk to Nikola when he and Henry are done. By then it'll be way past his bed time."

Will scoffed as he opened the door. "Have fun tucking him in."

"Oh yes, loads," Helen rolled her eyes returning to the paperwork in front of her.

Will laughed and disappeared down the hallway.

The silence in the room was peaceful and Helen took a moment to revel in it. She closed her eyes, taking the moment to sort through the days events in her mind. From waking up to Nikola's arrival, to now. She reviewed all the steps she had taken to lead her to this very moment and wondered what she could've done differently to change the outcome.

She must've had closed her eyes for longer than she realized because when she finally convinced herself to reopen them and continue working she was met with a pair of inquisitive blue-grey eyes staring wide-eyed and curious at her. She jumped seeing him.

"Nikola!"

"You're beautiful when you're asleep."

Helen relaxed and glared at him.

"What do you want?" she bit harshly.

"I'm sorry, did I disturb you from your beauty rest?"

Helen scowled deeper.

"We're in, we should have all the files downloaded momentarily...assuming wolf boy doesn't try to do anything fancy while I'm away."

"And?"

"And I figured you would want to be the first to know what they did to me."

"Of course you did."

"How else are we to return me to my true state so we can finally consummate our love!"

Helen rolled her eyes.

"Not happening Nikola."

"Well certainly not now, but just you wait when I'm back in my handsome, irresistibly manly body."

Helen sighed and got up, maneuvering around her desk to head to her office door.

Nikola followed on his tiny legs.

"Wait, shouldn't we hold hands?" he said. "In case I get lost?"

Helen stopped and glowered at him.

Nikola smiled up at her sweetly.

"Pleeeeease!" he rocked back on his heels like a child does when he really wants something.

With a huff Helen conceded.

"Fine, but the moment you try anything-"

"Oh goody!" Nikola cut her off and took her hand immediately, nuzzling it affectionately with his face.

Helen tensed slightly at the action and tried to suppress the strange queasiness in her stomach. If it had been Nikola in his true form it might've have been rather endearing...as it was, her mind didn't know how to handle Nikola in his present...form.

Instead Helen tried hard not to think about it and began walking to the elevator. Nikola skipped easily beside her, humming a wordless tune to himself.

When they reached the elevator Nikola graciously relinquished her hand to let her press the proper button. Instead, he took the opportunity to wrap his arms around one of her legs, squeezing tightly.

"I've missed you."

Helen blew out a hot steam of air in annoyance. He was doing this purposefully because he knew she was uncomfortable.

"Too far, Nikola."

"Huh?"

"Let go."

"K."

He did so without hesitation, stepping away from her and beaming widely from ear to ear. Separating the fact that behind that smile was the mind of a 150 year old letch, Helen had to admit as an eight year old he was a rather sweet, if precocious little boy. She briefly wondered how insufferable he was in school.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Ask away my love," Nikola spread his arms widely to indicate he was an open book to her.

"What's it like?"

"Hmm?

"You know, to be young again?"

"Oh that...not much different really. You hardly notice it at all until you look down at yourself and realize you're only about a quarter of your height."

"I see."

"It has it's certain disadvantages though."

"Like what?" Helen said without really thinking.

"Like I can't kiss you the way I want to," Nikola said as passionately as his eight year old voice could muster.

Helen sighed.

"I swear to you Helen, me showing up in an eight year olds body was not exactly what I had in mind for our reunion."

Helen gave him a look. She was going to regret asking this...but:

"What did you have in mind?"

The boy's beaming smile curled with a wicked edge. It was distressing.

"Oh you don't want to know...not yet anyways."

Helen eyed him uncomfortably for a moment.

"I will never get used to this," Helen muttered.

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

More weird Helen/child!Nikola flirty banter! Yay!

Thank you for all the lovely reviews!

Another chapter will be posted soon! For now, enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The decrypting and sorting of all the SCIU files they managed to obtain was a long and tedious task indeed. Since everything was given code names and passwords, most of which Nikola did not know how to unlock, Henry was forced to bypass a lot of the security measures.

It was about midnight and the third cup of coffee for Henry that Nikola began to yawn dramatically. From there it all went downhill. It was now almost 3 am.

"Ugh...that bypass failed," Henry sighed.

"I told you it would," Nikola grumbled sleepily.

"Nobody asked you," Henry mumbled back.

"I am the genius here!"

Helen sat in a chair behind them, rolling her eyes.

"Enough," Helen sighed. "Maybe we should get some sleep, come back to it with fresh eyes tomorrow."

Nikola shook his head emphatically.

"No I can do it," he mumbled. "I'm not..." He yawned louder and longer than before. "...tired."

Helen sighed and against her better judgement stood up and scooped Nikola under his arms and lifted him up off of his stool.

"Hey!" he muttered half-heartedly.

"You're both falling asleep at the keyboards, get some rest. It's way past your bedtime."

"I am one-hundred and fifty-eight years old madam, I do not have a bed time!" Nikola protested.

"Goodnight, Henry."

Henry waved sleepily and shut down the system, rubbing his eyes as he went.

Helen began ushering Nikola out of the room.

"Come on Nikola, I'll read you a bedtime story."

"But I don't wanna go to bed! I wanna keep decrypting files!" Nikola whined.

"You can decrypt files in the morning. Come on."

"It's not the same!"

Helen pushed him into the elevator and he lazily stomped in. He was so tired he could barely stand upright as Helen pressed the button to go up. Nikola yawned again and stumbled slightly against the elevator wall, Helen must've been tired too because out of some motherly instinct she scooped him up into her arms and let him rest his head on her shoulder. The act oddly reminded her of Ashley when she was about this age. Nikola murmured something against her shoulder, maybe in protest, maybe something lewd, either way, Helen didn't ask him to clarify. He was too tired to walk, so she was going to carry him to bed, damn whatever he was going to say about it.

The elevator dinged and opened up to the residential level. There was a guest room near hers that she had all made up for him. It was close enough to her room in case he needed something or something happened in the middle of the night.

Maybe she had originally intended him to use the room as his normal adult self, in the hopes that she could subtly prompt him to do something spontaneous. But she was adaptable.

Helen paused.

"Nikola?" she asked. He gave her a muffled sound in response. "Do you have jammies with you possibly?"

Nikola lifted his head up slightly.

"I prefer sleeping in the buff."

Helen rolled her eyes. "So that's a no then?"

He nodded his head lazily before dropping it back on her shoulder.

"Great," Helen turned around and marched down to the other end of the corridor and knocked on the door.

Will opened the door with slightly bleary eyes.

"Hmm?" He met Helen's gaze before his eyes landed on the eight year old slumped in her arms. "Did you break him?"

"Poor little thing, played so hard he tuckered himself right out," Helen teased.

"Ehehehe, funny," Nikola murmured sarcastically from behind her.

"I am not babysitting him," Will said adamantly, for a moment dreading the reason Helen had carried Nikola to his door at midnight.

"No, nothing like that, I was just wondering if you had a spare t-shirt and shorts he can wear," Helen said lowly, in some kind of effort to keep it secret from Nikola.

"I'll be fine," Nikola whined. "A five minute power nap...be right as rain..."

Will chuckled.

"I'm sure I have something he can use as long as he doesn't comment on my taste in clothes."

"What taste?" Nikola mumbled.

Will and Helen shared a look for a moment before Will sighed and went over to his wardrobe, pulling out a pair of boxer shorts and a white t-shirt and handing them over to Helen.

"See if this fits him," Will smiled warmly before reaching over and roughly mussing up Nikola's hair.

Nikola made a groan in protest but was too tired to do anything about it.

Helen mouthed a thank you and left, taking Nikola down to his room and depositing him inside. She lowered him to the floor and handed him the clothes. "Go and change."

"Do I have to?"

She pushed him in the direction of the bathroom.

"Go, when you get back I'll help you get settled in."

"Be still my beating heart," Nikola mumbled trudging over to the bathroom on lazy feet.

About five minutes later he emerged in the t-shirt and shorts with his clothes neatly folded into a pile which he placed on a chair in the corner. The shirt looked to be about two sizes too big and he had rolled up the waist of the shorts to fit better on his hips, but other than that it didn't look too bad.

Helen helped him into the bed and pulled the blankets up and under his chin.

"Can you sing to me?"

Helen scoffed. "Not on your life."

He tried to give her a cutsie look but his eyes were drooping too hard to make it effective.

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

"No. And you're not allowed in my bedroom either."

"What if I have nightmares?"

"Then you can knock on Will's door to ask him for a cup of water."

"I don't have my teddy bear."

"Use a pillow."

Nikola shrugged in defeat, too tired to come up with anything else.

"I love you," he muttered sleepily his eyes finally drifting closed.

Helen softened at his sleep-adled sincerity. He was terribly cute sometimes.

She smiled and lent down to kiss his forehead, smoothing the hair at the top of his head.

It hadn't struck her before this moment how much she missed caring after a child. Sure, it was Nikola, but the memory of her own blonde-haired tomboy who never wanted to stop playing and liked to run and jump in the dirt and hated wearing dresses and wanted to go to the shooting range with her. The precocious little girl whose babysitter was Bigfoot and favorite uncle was Sherlock Holmes, and never feared the monster under her bed. Looking down at this boy...it almost reminded her of that girl.

Helen toyed with his sandy brown hair some more. She would find out in the morning who the real "Peter" was, or was supposed to be, but for now she'd let him sleep.

With that, she stood up and turned off the lights and left the sleeping boy to his rest.

_**~~~~Meanwhile, SCIU Headquarters~~~~**_

Dr. Coates gently adjusted a stray lock of hair from his head. His hair had grown so long: he was in dire need of a trim and a shave but the higher-ups would put her professionalism into question if she showed that much care and attentiveness to one of their experiments. They had interns that would check all his vitals and once a week change the sheets and sponge clean him, as would you do any coma patient. But haircuts and shaves were considered special treatment and she needed this job.

That didn't stop her from idling playing with the now loose and slightly curled locks that hung from his head.

"Dr. Coates!" Addison barged into the room, startling her. She jerked away from him and rested her arms at her side as professional as he could be.

"Yes, Mr. Addison," she said curtly.

"How are things coming along? Give me an update," he barked and forcefully grabbed a chair and sat down, facing her. His arms were crossed in front of him and he had a no-nonsense expression on his face.

"Uhh, well...we may have found the uh...weak spot in the program," Coates fiddled with her clipboard as she pulled out the report. "According to the testimony from the parents Peter had zapped himself on a toaster about two months after they brought him home. That's seems to be the point where his attitude started to change and he became distant."

"So you think that's what happened?"

Coates nodded. "We did not put into account when we were constructing the mind patch that an electrical overload might break the walls. We believe we have fixed that glitch. So when we find him-"

"If," Addison clarified.

"Right...if we find him we can repeat the process now with stronger protocols in place."

Addison nodded, seemingly pleased with the news.

"How about him?" he gestured to the unconscious body beside her. "How's he doing?"

"His brain is showing very minimal activity, as we suspected. Little Peter did not have much to give. But all his vitals are stable and strong."

Addison nodded. "Good, I hope that means we can move on to stage 2."

"Stage 2?"

"Yes, I'll have what you need ready by Thursday, have him ready by then."

"Uh, yes sir."

"Give him a shave and a haircut for goodness sakes, we want him looking his best," Addison stood up and swiftly walked to the door." Good work, Dr. Coates."

With that he left and Coates let out a long sigh, turning to him and resting a hand on his chin.

"Looks like our time will be cut short, my love."

She gently kissed his chin and then went to her computer, opening the file marked "Stage 2".


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Helen woke up with the artificial sun shining on her back. She yawned, stretched and sat up in her bed rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Her tablet bleeped beside her on her bedside table alerting her of her impending meeting with the Sanctuary Heads, as well as reminders for several files she needed to have completed by days end.

Helen was a master at dressing quickly and was ready in under fifteen minutes in her best business attire, ready for the day.

As she was putting the final touches on her make-up she heard her bedroom door creak open.

Her hair spun around wildly as she twisted around, holding her nail file poised as a weapon.

She was met with a small yawning face in her doorway.

Nikola stood there in his sleeping attire, rubbing his eyes with one hand and yawning and stretching with the other.

"Nikola?" Helen sighed, lowering her armed hand. "What are you doing here?"

"My room was cold," he muttered sleepily.

Helen huffed and put her hands on her hips.

"And what, you thought that my room would be any warmer."

"Cuddle me?" Nikola held his arms up to her.

Helen laughed. "Get out."

"Oh Helen! I'm just a cute little kid!"

Helen scoffed.

"That's the problem. You're not a cute little kid, you're a dirty old man pretending to be a cute little kid."

"I'm not old."

Helen gave him a look.

"I'm vintage."

Helen rolled her eyes.

"Get out, get dressed, meet me downstairs," she ordered firmly.

"Ooh, you're bossy in the morning."

"I'm bossy all the time, now get!"

Nikola sighed and turned around.

"Well forgive me for trying to be cute!" he grumbled as he trudged back to his room.

"And hustle! You want your normal self back, right?" Helen clapped her hands in encouragement.

"You're just saying that so that you can have me all to yourself!"

Helen laughed and shook her head, heading in the opposite direction.

The ride down to the kitchen was quiet and pleasant. Helen felt oddly good this morning despite the impending load of work she would undoubtedly have waiting at her desk this morning. She would have to contact the other heads and set up a meeting to discuss Nikola's current state...as well as what to do with him if they couldn't change him back. Helen wistfully thought back to six months ago when she had realized her plan had worked, that everything she had worked for had come to fruition...her next thought had been another plan, one she had been contemplating for a long while. In her mind she had always been grooming Will to take her place as head of the Sanctuary...if and when she ever decided she was done with this life...for awhile anyways...and that was still her plan, but she briefly considered grooming for herself a more permanent second-in-command.

"Good morning Doc!" Kate whizzed by her with a cup of coffee. "Hot waters on for your tea."

Kate disappeared shortly after that brief exchange and Helen shrugged. Life went on.

The kitchen was larger and crazier than you could ever imagine. It was more like a cafeteria than it was a kitchen, really. With the new Sanctuary, Helen had set aside a budget to actually create a kitchen staff to always have hot meals ready for any and all crew members at all times. Helen normally had her food ordered up to her office, but she was feeling particularly adventurous this morning.

It was some kind of chaos.

A cup was thrust into one of her hands and a tray of oatmeal, eggs and toast was whisked into the other. With a shrug she took it and sat down at the nearest open space she could find. She was reminded why she usually avoided this place...why most sane members of her teams avoided this place.

She ate quickly and left almost as swiftly as she arrived, her early morning peace dissolved by the utter noise of the strange and deafening dining experience.

On her way out she managed to grab a plate of eggs and bacon and a chocolate milk for Nikola. Chocolate milk was the wine of eight year olds she presumed...if she put it in a wine glass he may not even notice.

She was back in the quiet and sanctity of her office in a breaths time, inhaling deeply the scent of her own comfort.

She set out Nikola's breakfast for him on the coffee table and set about her early morning paperwork. It was about a half hour in that Nikola waltzed in, dressed to the eight year old nines, with his hair neatly styled and a big grin on his face.

"Good morning my love."

Helen looked up at him with a smirk and gestured over to the coffee table.

"Your breakfast is over there."

Nikola smiled and skipped over.

"Chocolate milk? Really? How old do you think I am?" Nikola gave we a look.

"Eight and a half," she teased.

Nikola sneered at her.

"Hey, I put it in a wine glass for you," Helen defended.

Nikola sighed in annoyance and picked up the glass and huffed. "I guess there's that." He took a sip and bowed his head in acquiescence. "It's not the worst thing I've ever had."

Helen smiled.

"I thought you might enjoy it."

"Oh, it's not me, it's this child's taste buds, things taste different in the body of a child, almost more...tolerable. Any second now you'll see me walking around eating peanut butter from the container and sucking down scoops of bubble gum ice cream like a fiend."

Helen snorted at that.

"I have paid money to see less."

"I can't wait to have my own body back with my own refined tastes and..." He trailed off.

"And?" Helen prompted.

"And other things," he muttered and took another sip.

He look down at his meal suddenly with renewed excitement.

"Ooh! Do you have ketchup?" he froze. "Oh god, I did not just ask for ketchup, what am I, a heathen?"

"Ketchup is very refined."

"For McDonald's maybe." Helen laughed. "I tell you, any moment now, bubble gum ice cream."

Helen chuckled then stopped, her mind working now.

"I wonder..."

"Hmm?" Nikola looked up from his bowl.

"What you just said...about your taste buds, I wonder...I wonder how much of that is you and how much of that is Peter."

"Peter?"

"The real inhabitant of that body."

"What do you mean?"

"Aside from the obvious, have their been moments where you haven't felt like yourself?"

"Uh..."

"Like odd cravings for things you don't even like, or a song that you know the lyrics to but haven't actually heard the song before."

"Hmm?" Nikola looked back thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it...I have had some moments like that. Like...when I came home at first my fake parents took me to my favorite restaurant in a vain attempt to try and help kickstart my memory. They gave me the menu and let me choose what I wanted, I took two seconds and knew my order immediately."

"Which was?"

Nikola stood up, his mind working alongside hers. "Peter's favorite dish: blueberry pancakes."

"Aha!" Helen muttered triumphantly.

"What could that mean?"

"That maybe Peter is still in there."

"Say what?"

"Maybe the two of you didn't just switch bodies, they took you out of your body and into his, his consciousness was so weak that you easily suppressed him, so they put in some kind of block so that hopefully..."

"Peter could live an ordinary life as himself until..." Nikola added.

"Until they needed you."

"But why would they go through all the trouble if only to hide me. They could've hidden me in any one of their facilities and no one would've been the wiser."

Helen slammed her hand down suddenly.

"How rich were your fake parents?"

"Huh?"

"Answer the question. How rich?"

"Fairly well off...I was attending a prep school. Fake-mother Sandra wore nice clothes...the house was big...really big...no servants but fake-father Paul had assistants..."

"You lived there for six months and this is all you remember? I thought you said you were gathering intel?"

"I had other things on my mind!"

"You are such a narrow-minded child!"

"I was trying to plan a way to get back to you!"

"And you couldn't have gathered a little more useful information while you were at it."

"No!"

"Cause why?"

"Cause I missed you, alright! You were all I could think about!"

Helen lost all the words she was prepared to spew at him in an instance.

"I was torturing myself," Nikola sighed. "I had to know...tell me please, I know this is hard for you because I'm like this and it's weird and a tiny bit creepy but...but if I hadn't…if they hadn't kidnapped me on my way to the rendezvous, what would've happened?"

Helen's mouth flapped wordlessly as she searched for an answer.

"You kissed me Helen, and it may have been a just in case kind of thing but if we had seen each other again that night...afterwards...what would've happened?"

Helen swallowed heavily as she looked into his face, this unfamiliar face that at once looked nothing like the man she had known but at the same time reeked of a familiarity only a century-plus of friendship could afford.

"I had thought…we might get a drink," Helen muttered with a defeated sigh.

Nikola's face broke into a grin.

"Is that all?"

Helen bit her lip and averted her gaze momentarily before returning her eyes to his.

"I had actually thought..."

"Yes," Nikola stepped closer.

"I would've thought that you would join my team actually."

"Oh," Nikola looked down with disappointment evident on his features.

He broke away and went over to the couch, sloughing down on it in a child-like manner.

It wasn't a complete lie, Helen told herself. She had wanted him to join the Sanctuary as an official member, but she hadn't the strength this time to tell him to what extent she had truly thought of it. There would be time, when the right moment came along she would tell him the full truth.

"I promise, when we've righted all of this we'll talk, really talk about what happened, but first, we need to figure out why SCIU did this to you and to do that we need to figure out why they chose this family, specifically. Is there anything you remember about your fake parents, anything at all, anything that might help."

Nikola sighed. "Ingolls."

"Ingolls?"

"Paul, Sandra and Peter Ingolls, that is their name."

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"You dated his great-grandfather?" Nikola shrugged.

"No, possibly, but no that's not it."

Helen went over to the computer and began typing away. "Aha!" She cried triumphantly after a moment. "I knew I recognized the name somewhere. Paul Ingolls is the Vice-CEO of a power company dedicated to making free environmentally safe power as well as safer alternatives to gas and oil."

"A man after my own heart," Nikola joked.

"His wife is the owner of a non-for-profit organization that deals with aiding fundraisers and developing relief campaigns. I've heard of them, millionaire philanthropists. It was in the paper."

"So, they aren't bastards, I could've told you that," Nikola shrugged.

Helen kept scanning articles.

"Ah, here. Last winter, the Ingolls were struck with tragedy when their only son, Peter…that's you…fell into a comatose state…due to possible brain infection, or…experts…chalk it up to the increasing abnormal phenomenon?"

"They're blaming this on the abnormal uprising?" Nikola stood up and walked around the desk to read the article as well.

"At least that's how they're trying to spin it. They are spouting out theories all over the place. Genetic manipulation, X-Men type DNA strands, all the way to the bogeyman stole his soul."

"That was SCIU's way in," the realization dawned on Nikola.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly what they told them. Peter could simply be suffering from an untreated case of encephalitis, but instead SCIU tells them that it's some sort of abnormal disease and they have the only cure for it."

"Wouldn't a Doctor be able to see that it's encephalitis not…you know, mysterious boogeyman's disease?"

"Not if the doctor is actually on the payroll for SCIU."

"Do you think…they gave this child a brain injury? Would they really go that far?"

"You worked for them, what do you think?

Nikola cupped his chin as he pondered what she said.

"When was he hospitalized again?"

Helen scrolled up on the page.

"A week after you went missing."

Nikola's eyes widened.

"You may be on to something."

Helen nodded.

"Private funding from grieving millionaire parents for the next twenty years, and a shell to hide the troublesome genius, who will probably inherit his Daddy Warbuck's business…it's the same tactic you tried to employ with your trust fund vampires."

"And see how well that turned out."

"Except this is a child," Helen almost snarled. "Your victims were at least by their own will."

"Sort of."

"This is low…even by SCIU's standards," Helen hissed.

Suddenly Will, Henry and Kate burst into the room, unceremoniously.

"Watch this," Will shouted before Helen could even get out a word.

Henry quickly pulled up the live feed of a public news station on his laptop and rested it in front of Helen on the desk.

"_The name of the missing boy is that of Peter Ingolls. Son of millionaire philanthropists, Paul and Sandra Ingolls. He was last seen on the grounds of his school. The parents made an empassioned plea this morning asking if anyone knows the location of their son to please step forward. A reward has not been officially posted due to possible prank calls. The couple refused to answer any questions after the conference yesterday but there was a word from their PR, Greg Addison directly given to the possible kidnappers."_

Helen sat up as they brought up the footage and she looked into the cold eyes of her nemesis.

"_You can't hide him for long. We will find you. It would be easier if you just gave him up now."_

Helen shut off the link and looked at her team, including Nikola.

"Addison knows! Addison knows that I didn't die, and he is still after my Sanctuary! I bet he's using this as a way to get back at me."

"Using me?"

"Who else?"

"Helen," Nikola puts a hand over his heart. Helen rolled her eyes and presses a button.

"Will, Kate, and Henry. I need you in my office immediately," Helen said authoritatively.

"What are you thinking, Helen?" Nikola said with a sly smile.

"I think our dear friend Addison deserves a phone call, don't you?"

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

Ooh! The plot thickens.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Addison's phone was ringing.

"Addison," he answered curtly.

"Hello Greg."

A smile spread across his face.

"How did you get this number?"

"I have my sources. Are you upset?"

"On the contrary, I was hoping we'd be able to speak," he leaned back in his chair, slightly.

"Good, because I believe we have some unfinished business."

"Indeed we do," Addison's grin grew wider. "That was quite the disappearing act you pulled, Dr. Magnus."

"Helen, please Greg, no need to be so informal."

"Helen."

_"Are you two flirting?"_ could just be heard over the phone and Greg chuckled to himself, slightly.

"I believe you have my boy," Greg continued without hesitation.

"I believe you have my genius," Helen stated calmly.

"Are you proposing a trade?"

"I would like to know why you have my genius and why your boy came to me, seems like a bit of a situation we have here."

_"Ask him what he's done with my body!"_ Addison could just hear the little voice.

"Is that the little rascal now?"

"Yes, would you like to talk to him?"

_"Oh give him to me, I'll rip him a new one!"_

"That's unnecessary. We'll talk plenty when you hand him back over to me."

"You sound quite confident in my future actions. Pray tell, why exactly would I hand him over to you willingly?"

"For the welfare of your Sanctuary, of course."

"Oh? Is my Sanctuary at jeopardy?"

"Not at this very moment, but could be very soon. You do realize I trace all my calls."

"Well then it's a good thing I'm not calling you from my Sanctuary then, is it?"

_"One chocolate milk and one peppermint tea. Are you ready to order?"_

Addison's smile faltered slightly at the sound of what was most likely a Denny's.

_"I'll have the blueberry pancakes, please!"_

Helen snickered.

_"Would you like some crayons?"_

_"How old do you- no, thank you."_

Addison smiled slightly again.

"Nothing for me right now, thank you," Helen spoke to the waitress. "Greg?"

"Yes."

"Ah good, you're still there, you'd gone silent for a moment."

"Just amused, I assure you."

"So, about our situation, how do you propose we set things right?"

"You could return my property to me," Addison leaned further back in his chair, legs crossing comfortably.

"And not get anything in return?"

"You could turn him in formally and collect the reward?"

"And what of my reward? I have a missing genius, I would surely desire to have him back."

"Things are more complicated than just a simple trade off dear Helen. There are channels that this transaction needs to process through, certain stamps of approval that need to be made."

"Well then I suggest you start working on that and we can talk again." Helen moved to hang up.

"Wait, wait!"

"I'm listening."

"What would you give me to have your precious genius returned to you?"

"That depends precisely on what you want."

"The Sanctuary."

"Ah, see that I can't give you."

"Then I'm afraid we're at a stand still."

"What do you want with my Sanctuary? It is useless to you now."

"Oh Helen, we both now you did not simply just sink into retirement."

"I may have, Greece is particularly nice this time of year."

_"Rome is better."_

Addison chuckled.

"I'd like to think I know you well enough by now to know that the great Helen Magnus would not simply abandon her life's work to go sunbathing."

"Who said anything about abandoning it, I have a whole team of people to look after it. All I need is my genius."

"What for?"

"One should never sunbathe alone."

"Is that an invitation?"

"For a busy man like yourself, no."

"Shame."

_"You two are flirting!"_

"What do you want Helen?" Addison smirked.

"I told you. I want my genius back, in his true form, and I want this boy to be returned to his parents with a full bill of health."

"I can't do that, Helen."

"Then we are at a standstill."

"But I do have something else that may be of interest."

And what is that?"

Addison sat up and pressed the button on the intercom.

"Bring them in."

"Bring who in?"

"Just some stragglers I found this morning. They were wandering too close for comfort."

_"Sorry doc,"_ came Kate's voice over the phone.

"So Helen, how do we negotiate this?"

_**~~~~Several Hours Earlier~~~~**_

"I don't see why we can't just call him from Old City!" Nikola whined.

Helen, Nikola, Kate and Henry sat in the hub of Helen's private jet. Helen had her legs crossed gracefully in front of her as she sat across from Nikola who looked nervous…rather nervous.

"He'll be expecting that," Helen sighed, flipping through a file folder full of contacts.

"So we're going to the viper's den?"

"We need common ground. Just close enough to it so that we may negotiate your release."

"I don't like this plan, I think we should go at least one state over."

The jet jerked around suddenly and Nikola's hands clenched over the armrests tightly.

"Can I just say this is the dumbest plan I have ever heard!"

"Nikola, trust me."

"I do, Helen, but I would like my body not to be riddled with bullets when I return to it."

The plane jerked again and Nikola closed his eyes.

"Nikola, what's wrong? Are you afraid?" Helen teased.

"I'm an immortal vampire!" Nikola growled.

"You look terrified," Helen's teasing grin quickly dropped into concern as she saw how white his knuckles were around the armrests, and how his forehead had a slight gleam.

"I just...I'm all of the sudden not liking this trip," Nikola stuttered.

Helen watched Nikola carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm having a panic attack every time the plane jerks around, and I know it's not me!"

Nikola began panting.

"You must be reverting," Helen got out of her chair and went to Nikola's side. "I should've seen this coming!"

"I'm the same as I ever was!"

"Nikola, since when have you ever been afraid of heights? Or flying?"

Helen put a hand to Nikola's forehead.

"And you have a temperature."

"I said I'm fine."

"Peter's body is fighting you off like an infection."

"Helen! Please!"

"When did you start feeling this way?"

"Just before we left...I...I started feeling queasy, I thought it was the chocolate milk."

"We need to get you back in your proper body, and fast."

"Advil and some tonic water, I'll be right as rain."

"You keep saying that! You never say that."

"Say what?"

"Right as rain, right as rain!" Helen barked.

The jerking stopped and Nikola's eyes opened and met hers.

"I'm just an impression."

Helen blinked at Nikola's sudden change in demeanor.

"What are you talking about?"

"Me! I'm just a copy, like hardware taken from the original source and placed in an inferior model."

Nikola's breathing became more and more erratic.

"I am a parasite in this brain and I can't control it, I'm slipping, I'm becoming more like Peter every day and...and..."

Nikola's eyes rolled back in his skull as his mind seized up.

"Doc!" called Kate.

Helen was already unbuckling Nikola from his seat and laying him on the floor of the jet.

"Get me a damp rag!" Helen ordered.

Kate took no time in yanking a clean linen cloth from out of the bathroom, wetting it in the sink and squeezing out the excess, before handing it to Helen. Helen immediately folded the wet cloth into a simple rectangle and began placing it behind Nikola's neck.

"He's thrown himself into a seizure," Helen growled, supporting Nikola's head so he couldn't choke on his spit as the convulsions shook through him. "I need to cool his head down. Grab another."

Kate nodded and went to fetch more cold cloths.

Suddenly Nikola's body calmed down.

"Get some water," Helen ordered not looking away from Nikola.

"What does this mean Doc?" asked Henry.

"It means he can't go on like this forever. No brain was designed to harbor two minds. I don't know how they did this but..." Helen bit her lip. "We need to right this, before Nikola is completely lost."

"What will we do?" asked Kate.

"We need to give Nikola back."

"What?" Kate and Henry said simultaneously.

"That's exactly what Addison wants!" cried Kate.

"Not if we make him think he's got the upper hand," Helen began drumming her fingers on her chin. A plan was forming in her mind.

"If he gets Nikola isn't that exactly what he'll have?"

"What if he lets all three of us in along with him?"

"Great, we'll just sign up for the tour," Kate rolled her eyes.

Helen grabbed the other woman's arm.

"I have an idea."

_**~~~~Present~~~~**_

"Sorry Doc,"Kate muttered over the phone held out to her face.

Henry kneeled beside her, his hands bound in front of him like hers were.

They shared a look.

Addison pulled the phone away, smiling triumphantly.

"So Helen, how do we negotiate this?" The smug satisfaction practically dripped off his face.

"I'm listening," Helen muttered.

"You know, Helen, I'm shocked. Eight months of inactivity has made you sloppy. Did you really think your two goons could just sneak into my facility and not get caught?"

"I did."

"Yes but you had help, and may I say that you were caught that time as well."

"Your loss."

"You have no idea Helen," Addison hissed. "What were you trying to do? Distract me with this phone call so you could retrieve your genius' body?"

"Yes," Helen said flatly.

"Well, even if you had succeeded your efforts would have been futile. There is no magical device to just switch them back with. You would've also had to steal my research, my lab, my technicians. Very sloppy work, Helen, very sloppy. I expect more from you."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"What is it about your genius that causes you to act so foolishly, Helen?"

Helen clenched her teeth slightly.

"So here's my new proposal, Helen. I have your team, you have my boy. Bring the boy to me and I will release your team back to you, free of charge...this time."

"And what of my genius?"

"I still have use for him."

"How do I know that you won't just capture me along with my team the moment I arrive."

"Alright. We'll meet in the middle. I'll arrange a meeting place in Oregon, the boy's home state. You give me the boy, I'll give you your crew, right in front of the parents. They'll even shake your hand in thanks."

"A public place?"

"A park, a museum, a restaurant you name it."

"You have my number now, text me the details."

Addison grinned.

"It's a date then."

He hung up and looked over at the two kneeling on the floor of his office.

"Take them to holding, make sure they're comfortable. Dr. Coates!"

Coates looked up from where she was sitting, her mind somewhere else.

"Have him ready for transport within the hour?"

Coates nodded silently. Greg grabbed her arm suddenly.

"You will have him ready, won't you?"

There was an almost silent threat in his tone. It was unvoiced but present in his eyes and the corners of his mouth. Coates met his piercing gaze head on and nodded.

"Good, you're dismissed."

Kate noticed the interaction between Addison and the Doctor as she and Henry were lifted to their feet and pushed out of Addison's office, down the corridor, into the elevator and down three floors into another pristine hallway where they were led to a locked room and shoved inside. One of the marines cut their binds while the other stood poised with his weapon to prevent them from attacking them. Once done, the two marines left and locked the door behind them, leaving Kate and Henry alone in the cool, windowless room.

"Who's the lady doctor?" Kate muttered to Henry after a moment.

"Her?" Henry whispered back. "Last time I was here she was Tesla's main squeeze."

"His what?"

"You know...like a boy toy, but..."

"I get it, but...her?"

"I think so. She straight-out hugged him in front of Magnus and called him Nikki, and Tesla got all awkward."

"Tesla, you dawg," Kate chuckled.

"I don't know the extent of the relationship, I never asked. So it could've been anything from casual flirting to..."

"Getting freaky amongst the Petri dishes?"

"As I said, I never asked."

Kate bit her lip in thought.

"Interesting..."

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Helen put down her phone and looked over at Nikola who was happily munching on blueberry pancakes.

"So...how did it go?" Nikola asked casually as he took a sip from his chocolate milk.

"Exactly as planned," Helen smiled.

"So they're in?" Nikola asked, wiping his face with a napkin.

"Yes," Helen nodded. "And Addison believes he has got me in the clincher."

Nikola chuckled. "That's one thing I never liked about the man...he was so easy to fool into thinking that he had all the power. He should really know by now that it would take a lot more than this to bring Dr. Helen Magnus to her knees."

"He certainly tends to think you're a weakness of mine."

"So he's not a complete idiot."

Helen rolled her eyes. Nikola finished off his last few bites and sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"How are you feeling?" Helen asked. "Your temperature has gone down."

"That's something I guess. I have a bit of headache, and I can feel some lines getting blurry...it's getting hard to distinguish myself from Peter, but I should be fine for another day or so."

Helen nodded.

"By that time you will be in your own body and Peter will be returned to his."

Nikola nodded.

"Now all we do is wait."

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

Another chapter for you wonderful readers:)


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Nikola stared out of the window of the car as they drove alone the Oregon highway. Helen had been silent most of the trip down and it was starting to get on his nerves...that and he was running out of songs to hum to himself.

"Are we there yet?" he asked.

Helen rolled her eyes.

"Don't start."

"We've been driving for hours!" Nikola whined.

"Nikola, relax please, I really don't need you having another seizure in this car, ok?"

Nikola crossed his arms and huffed, leaning far against the back of the seat.

"Can we at least have the radio on? I'm driving myself mad over here!"

"We haven't been driving that long."

"Yes but I'm eight, everything seems longer when you're eight."

"You're eight and three quarters."

"You know what I mean!"

"Fine!" Helen flicked on the radio. "Have at her!"

Nikola giddily sat up and began pressing buttons, switching through channels until he found something he liked. He settled for Mozart.

Helen sighed.

"It's nice to know Peter hasn't completely taken over."

Nikola was distracted humming along to the concerto.

"Some things never change," She muttered. His fingers began twirling slightly like a conductors.

She wasn't surprised that Nikola enjoyed classical music, as a genius music could be very mathematically stimulating. She remembered once when he had bought them tickets to the opera, long time ago when they indulged in such luxuries. Neither John, James, nor Nigel could sit through an entire opera without falling asleep. Nikola however would get lost in the math of music, well, depending on the opera.

Helen smiled slightly at the memory.

Suddenly the music stopped.

Nikola was staring at the radio with an odd look on his face.

"Nikola?"

"I'm sorry, I...I suddenly didn't like it," Nikola shifted uncomfortably.

"How's your temperature?"

"I'm fine, it's not that...well it was that but..." Nikola trailed off, his head turning to face the window again.

"We'll get you back, I promise."

"What if they can't reverse the process?" Nikola mumbled.

"They can and they will."

"You can't force them to do something they literally can't do. Despite the power of your will."

"Well if they can't, I will," Helen said determinedly.

"That's of course supposing they'll let you."

"You know the plan."

"Yes, the plan! The plan that hinges solely on the idea that everything will go accordingly."

"This time we'll be watching," Helen nodded.

"Granted, Addison is rather predictable. Though I never predicted this."

Helen sighed. "Trust me, ok?"

Nikola finally looked at her, a look flashing over his eyes briefly. "I do," he muttered.

The city was slowly creeping into view ahead of them. Nikola audibly swallowed a hard lump in his throat.

"I don't enjoy being placed in the line of fire," he muttered again. "What if this time it doesn't work?"

"That's what Pam is for."

Nikola nodded

"Right, Pam."

"As I said, we'll be watching, you won't be alone," Helen reached over and grasped Nikola's significantly smaller hand and squeezed encouragingly.

Nikola nodded and leant back in his seat again, his hand coming to rest under his chin, his pinky jutting out along the curve of his jaw. His "thinking pose" as it were. Helen had to wonder what he was thinking about now.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Addison stood stoically at the large window in the stairwell that overlooked the parking lot two stories below. His hands rested behind his back, and his breathing was steady, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Dr. Coates entered from the floor above landing and delicately walked down the stairs, maintaining a safe distance from her boss.

"We're ready," she handed him a clipboard to show him her results.

Addison barely sniffed at it.

"I trust you, Doctor," he turned and offered her a warm smile. "The boy's parents just arrived, they are waiting in the lobby."

"Should they be here for this?" Coates said nervously.

"Oh, they won't be witnessing this part of the process. They are here for leverage, to ensure Helen hands the boy over safely."

Coates nodded.

"And the other two?"

"Ah, you mean Magnus' troops? When I give the word they will be released, and in exchange, we'll get Helen Magnus."

"Stage two?" Coates asked.

Addison's smile curled slightly and he returned his gaze out the window.

"Stage two."

He smiled even wider as he saw a black Mercedes drive into the lot.

"I believe our party has just begun. I will go down and play the hospitable host, I'll message you when we're ready."

"Yes sir," Coates turned and began walking back up the stairs.

"And Coates," Addison called after her. She stopped and faced him. "Good work."

She gave him a weak smile and nod of her head then continued walking back upstairs, closing the stairwell door behind her. She let out a long deep breath to calm her nerves. Something about Addison had always made her feel antsy, especially when she found out he had learned about her "obvious" crush on Nikola. She always felt like she was under a microscope with him after that.

She walked to a doorway blocked with a thick plastic sheeting, for sanitary purposes. She stepped through the plastic and sighed. The room was coated in white wash, and had been a bitch to set up and convert into a decent operating room, but it would have to do for now.

On a gurney, in the middle of the room lay his body, just as she left him. She was always surprised when he was still there, she half expected him to get up and walk away any moment, but he lay still, unmoving and pristine. Like Snow White, if Prince Charming had been cast with the sleeping curse instead of the princess.

She walked over to him and fixed a stray hair on his forehead. His cheeks were shaven clean and his hair had been trimmed to his normal length. It wasn't as lively as it usually was, mostly just lying flat on his skull, but it was still soft.

Coates was disturbed by the sound of another person's footsteps.

A man, tall and unfriendly looking, entered wearing scrubs.

Coates stepped away from the unconscious body and looked up at the intruder.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

The man nodded silently.

Coates gestured to a separate gurney lying next to the first one.

The man wordlessly came over and sat on the edge, easily swinging his legs on to the bed and lying down, shifting until he got comfortable.

Coates had nothing to say to the man, nor did she particularly feel in the mood to engage in idle chit chat. She just immediately grabbed the mans arm and gently put an IV line into his arm, as well as a few sensor pads in choice locations before bringing a mask over his face and holding it still over his mouth and nose until his eyelids got heavy and drooped closed. The gas mask was quickly exchanged for oxygen and then Coates stepped back.

She looked over at the two gurneys and sighed. This was her part done, for now.

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Helen parked the Mercedes in the lot and sat back in her seat for a moment and let out a long sigh.

"Here we are," she muttered.

Nikola looked over at her.

"I don't want to go in there," he sighed.

"I know."

"Den of vipers."

"I know."

"And doctors."

Helen nodded and smiled weakly.

"Were your fake parents really that bad?"

"No…they're rather nice actually. Sandra was very doting; always checking to see if I was hungry, or cold, or scared. Paul even took some time off work when I first came home, talked about us going fishing and eating grilled cheese. They love their son, there is no doubt about that, he is their world, but I am not their son, and they will never be my parents. I knew that before I struck myself with the toaster."

Helen looked over at Nikola and gently placed a hand on his head, ruffling the sandy-blonde hair. It didn't feel the same as Nikola's actual hair, it was too course or too fine.

Nikola gently took her hand of his hand and brought it to his face to gently kiss the top.

"Just in case," Nikola muttered.

Helen smiled slightly and leant over, cupping the boy's face, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.

"Just in case," Helen nodded.

"Well, then," Nikola smiled slightly, his cheeks reddening a touch. "Into the den we go, I guess."

Helen nodded and released his face, watching him as he opened his door and shuffled out, straightening his clothes and nervously smoothing out the wrinkles.

Helen stepped out on to the pavement and sucked in a deep breath.

She was hoping, praying, this went the way she wanted it to.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Addison was first to greet them as they entered the facility. It was a clean building, blindingly white, and almost modern looking with black leather sofas and strange, hard, curved chairs that seemed purely there for the aesthetic and not for functionality.

"How very...Kubrick," Nikola muttered, grabbing Helen's hand as the walked further into the room. Helen didn't shake off his hand and in fact squeezed it tighter.

"Do you like it?" Addison grinned from the middle of the room.

"If you were going for creepy futuristic waiting room, it's perfect," Nikola mumbled.

"Nice to see you again, Tesla. You've gotten smaller since last we met."

Nikola sneered at him.

"I'm having a mid-life crisis," Nikola replied sarcastically.

Addison laughed.

"Dr. Magnus...I truly never thought I would see you again," Addison smiled brightly at her which made Nikola squeeze her hand even more.

"For better or for worse?" Helen sneered back.

"On the contrary, I am very pleased to see you. Despite what you believe I did not dance upon the ashes of the Sanctuary. No, seeing the Sanctuary crumble was like watching a book burning."

"And yet you still hate abnormals."

"I've never hated them, I just want to understand them beyond giving them milk and cookies and a pat on the head."

Helen laughed sardonically.

"That just goes to show how you never understood my work."

"As you have never understood mine."

"How did you do it?" Helen gestured to Nikola. "It must've been through an abnormal, this scheme, it couldn't have come out of anything else."

"Of course, you are always so perceptive Helen."

"Where is my body?" Nikola barked.

"Don't worry, we've been taking good care of it while you have been...indisposed."

"I doubt that, I am very high maintenance," Nikola sniffed.

Addison laughed again.

"Answer the question Greg," Helen interjected. "How did you do it?"

"With a little help we managed to get the research from a...well let's just a say a mutual friend of ours over a study of something, I believe you called a Psychworm. While you were busy with the Uprising my team has been experimenting with the possible uses of such a fascinating creature. With a little bit of ingenuity and the right test subject we were able to mirror copy Nikola's conscious onto the brain of little Peter here. It's a little less science fiction than mind swapping, but essentially serves the main function."

"Why a child?"

"We needed something we could easily control."

"Why not an actual guinea pig?" Nikola hissed.

"What did you hope to gain from this?" Helen demanded.

"Real world application. Something you never considered. You prefer hoarding them away, hiding them."

"Protecting them."

"Selfishly! The research we've been doing could lead to a cure to brain damage, schizophrenia, autism."

"The ability to edit brain chemistry," Nikola chipped in.

Addison nodded.

"Cosmetic brain surgery?" Helen stared at Addison aghast.

"Reparative brain therapy. The vegetable, the coma patient, the brain damaged child. Imagine being able to tap into their minds and tweak them so they function properly. Elderly diagnosed with Alzheimer's, or Huntingtons patients! This could have so many real world applications once we perfect it."

"Why Nikola?"

"Why not try it on a immortal vampire, in case something goes wrong. He was the perfect test patient...until he proved too strong for the barriers we put in place."

"What did you do to me?" Nikola released Helen's hand and stepped closer to Addison.

"Nothing, we put you and Peter under the influence of the Psychworm's venom, we essentially made a copy of your mind and interwove it with Peter's. Your mind is intact as it ever was, it's just lying unconscious. You are not even you. In time Peter would've gotten stronger and began living his life, if it hadn't been for that jolt of electricity you'd be sitting at home living Peter's life as it was meant to be."

Nikola eyed Addison warily.

"I'm not really in here?"

"No," Addison shook his head. "You are Peter, through and through. You just think you are Tesla because at the moment those memories are supercharged. It is like any donor organ or bone marrow transplant."

Nikola stepped back, his brow scrunched in thought.

"I'm Peter," he said incredulously.

"If Nikola is just a donor then release him; once you've finished this experiment, release him! He's no use to anyone just being a slab of meat in a labratory. Sure Nikola's mind isn't the only one that works with the process."

Addison nodded.

"Indeed he isn't. And I intend to."

Helen blinked in surprise.

"You what?"

"I always intended to give him back, as well as your crew."

"Then why this infernal game," Helen growled.

"Well, now I know for certain you are still alive, and that information alone is with Nikola twice over."

"Hey!" Nikola cried.

"Peter's parents are in the next room, if I may?" Addison moved to the door at the far end of the room.

"Wait!" Helen called. "How do I know you aren't lying?"

"Your team is already outside waiting for you, unharmed and unbound. On them is a set of coordinates nearby. Tesla, the real Tesla, will meet you there in three days once our experiment has reached its conclusion. All he'll remember is the last moment before we nabbed him. Peter will live a long happy life, just with a stronger mind fueling his brain."

Helen bit her lip in contemplation as she looked over at Nikola. He watched her, a terror in his eyes as he realized she was considering his offer.

"Helen, no..." Nikola whispered.

"Nikola..."

"You can't trust him, it's preposterous!"

Helen knelt to Nikola's level.

"He could be telling the truth."

"That I'm just a supercharged copy? No! I can't believe that! Not when I look at you. Not when I know what I feel about you is as real as it has ever been. Peter doesn't know you, doesn't know you like I do, for as long as I have, and no Psychworm can mimic the years of trust and friendship that we have, they can't fake it when you look at me and know I'm the one whose talking."

Nikola took her hand.

"It's me."

Helen pulled Nikola to her in a tight embrace.

"I know," Helen whispered into his ear. "If all else fails...remember our plan."

Nikola sighed and held on to her tightly momentarily before releasing her, and nodding, his gaze averted to the floor.

Helen sighed and looked up at Addison, a sardonic and slightly bitter smile reached her lips.

"All right. We will take you on your word this once," she said authoritatively.

Addison grinned. "See what happens when we see eye to eye. If you stopped resisting me Helen, think of all the things we could do."

Helen rolled her eyes.

"Don't make me change my mind," she huffed.

Addison bowed his head in mock surrender. "As you wish. Now, the boy's parents?"

Helen looked over at Nikola who was still standing close to her almost for protection. Nikola looked up and met her gaze then looked at Addison and nodded. Helen could tell he was not pleased with this turn of events, but they had to try.

Addison turned with a chuckle and opened a door, leaning his head in. "He's here." He muttered to the occupants of the room.

They heard footsteps and the clicks of heels on the floor. The Ingoll's stepped cautiously through. Sandra took one look at Nikola and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Peter!" she cried.

"Sandra," Nikola crossed his arms.

Nikola's reaction took Sandra aback.

"Peter," Paul Ingolls gently scolded.

"I'm sorry...mother," Nikola huffed.

"We were so worried about you," Sandra came up to him and hugged him tightly. Nikola squirmed and resisted the affectionate embrace.

"I'm fine!" Nikola barked.

"Peter," Sandra said dejectedly. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, let's just get this over with so we can go home," Nikola huffed and yanked himself free of Sandra's grip and marched over to one of the couches and sat on it disdainfully.

Sandra shifted uncomfortably and looked at Helen.

"Thank you so much for finding him, I hope he wasn't too much trouble," Sandra quickly put on a false smile.

"He was no trouble at all," Helen faked a smile as well. She felt for the woman, she really did, she was hoping for a much sweeter reunion where her son ran into her arms and hugged her tight and told her he loved her. Nikola's reception was sour to say the least. But she couldn't say she blamed Nikola either; she wished he'd just direct it at her and not the sweet unsuspecting couple.

"Uh, let me just write you a check," Sandra began fishing through her purse.

"No need," Helen stopped her. "It was my pleasure."

"Surely you deserve the reward."

"I don't need it I assure you, just...take good care of him," Helen smiled and turned to leave, but stopped. "Goodbye Peter."

Nikola refused to meet her eye and grumbled out some sort of dismissal.

This was the closest to cooperative that Nikola would get.

Helen sighed and turned to leave again.

"Wait!" The shout made her jump, and suddenly Nikola's arms were wrapped around her legs. "Don't go," Nikola muttered. "I don't want you to leave me here."

Helen turned around to look at him.

"I have to," she sighed.

"What if he's lying to you and you don't get me back!"

He was terrified; Helen could see that clearly.

"I'll come back for you, I promise." Helen swept a hand through his hair. "Just be nice until then."

"Peter," Sandra's voice shook slightly.

Nikola didn't even bother to acknowledge her.

"I want to go with you," Nikola whimpered.

"You can't, not this time," Helen whispered."

"Those people are not my parents," Nikola hissed.

"They are Nikola, look at them, look at how they look at you. You are being rude," Helen scolded slightly. "Stop making a scene and let me go so I can retrieve my team and you can go back to being Peter, and the real Nikola can be returned to me."

"I am the real Nikola!"

"You're Peter!" Helen hissed harshly, then softened and kissed his forehead. "Trust me, nothing bad will happen to you."

"It's not you I don't trust," Nikola whimpered.

"Goodbye Peter," Helen stood to her full height and left quickly before Nikola could make leaving him harder than it already was. She had to admit it did feel like she was abandoning him slightly. But on the off chance that Addison was telling the truth she had to.

She reached the parking lot where one of Addison's goons was standing, waiting for her. As she approached he signaled someone over his radio and a door was flung open from one of the buildings across the street. Another goon stepped out dragging to people with bags over their heads.

Helen watched warily, just in case this was a trap.

The goon brought the bagged people over to the other goon, as the two of them cut the binding on their wrists and removed the bags from their head. Helen sighed in relief seeing Henry and Kate's faces.

"Doc?" Kate blinked.

The goons left wordlessly, disappearing into another door and leaving the three of them on their own.

"Kate! Henry!" Helen came up to them, examining them for injuries or scars. "Are you all right?"

They nodded.

"Never touched us, Doc," confirmed Henry.

"They put us in a holding cell in SCIU HQ and then put those bags on our heads and brought us here," Kate reaffirmed.

"They didn't give you anything?" Helen asked.

"Nope! Not even food. By the way I'm starving," grumbled Henry.

"Where's Tesla?" asked Kate.

"He'll be returned to us shortly," Helen said as confidently as she could muster. "Did they ever...give you anything?"

Kate and Henry gave her a rather confused look.

"Like an object or piece of paper?"

Kate perked up and immediately reached into her inner coat pocket.

"Like this?" she presented a small plastic panel with a set of numbers on it.

Helen grasped it and smiled in relief.

"We need to go, now," she ordered.

"But Doc, what about Tesla?"

Helen smiled.

"He's going to meet us."

"Where?"

Helen lifted up the panel.

"Here."

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

I am not a scientist...don't question the SCIENCE!

Read and enjoy my lovelies!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_**~~~~Mignight, Outside of Oregon~~~~**_

Helen sat in the parking lot of the abandoned gas station, her fingers tapping furiously on the wall. She checked her watch for the third time, and let out an audible sigh.

Kate sat beside her in the passenger seat eating a big of Doritos and Henry was sprawled out in the back napping. Helen checked the rear view mirror and the side mirrors for any sign of headlights, then checked her watch again.

"Where is he?"

"Cool it Doc," Kate mumbled. "They're not even late yet."

"I know I'm just..." Helen sighed. "Nikola was terrified."

"It wasn't Nikola, it was Peter, it was just like Nikola's memories on steroids. I mean, I know Nikola is a brat and all but he doesn't actually act like an eight year old. Despite showing some Tesla like qualities Nikola did act a little bit like a child, even I noticed it."

Helen but her lip and nodded. "There were some behavior and mannerisms more akin to a child than to Nikola's special brand of immaturity."

Kate sniggered. "Yah, like drinking chocolate milk, I think Nikola would hang himself before subjecting his delicately refined tastes to such an obstruction." Kate mocked. "Or wearing sneakers."

Helen chuckled.

"I have never seen him wear sneakers, nor do I ever think I will."

"And what about having to wear Will's clothes?"

The two ladies laughed. Henry mumbled and turned over in his sleep.

"Has he...has he ever worn anything besides a suit?" asked Kate, a real curiosity coming over her.

Helen had to think about that momentarily.

"Once or twice, very rare and usually only as a disguise. Even then, he always dressed nice. Even when we were in Egypt under the blazing sun, full suit. Not that I ever minded it."

Kate grinned at Helen.

"You were checking him out?" Kate accused.

"What? No! I merely noticed how he looked day to day, it happens when your work closely with someone."

"Admit it! You were checking him out! Come on! Ass and all, you were!"

Helen laughed.

"Fine, maybe a little bit. But if you ever tell him, so help me..."

Kate waved her off. "Please, I don't want to go near that ego let alone stroke it."

Helen sniggered again and checked her watch.

"Ok, now they are officially..."

"A minute late, Doc, I hate to break it to you but not everyone is as punctual as you are."

Helen sighed. "I know, it just...until he's here, until I'm looking at him in his true form I'm going to feel...like I abandoned him back there. He was helpless, and Peter or not, he truly believed he was Nikola, and I was the only person who could save him and I left him there without a single thought."

"That's not true."

"It is. I weighed the options and I made a decision. He practically begged me not to go and I didn't care to listen. I just...I just hope I made the right decision."

"Well they did have coordinates for you to follow, so far it seems like they've kept their word."

"A part of me can't help but feel we've walked straight into a trap. They know my weakness now Kate. However you choose to look at it Nikola is a weakness of mine."

Kate nodded her head wordlessly.

"We'll get him back. No matter what happens."

"That's what I told myself when they kidnapped Ashley."

Kate looked at Helen, her mouth open slightly. There was no response to a statement like that. Before she could say anything though a van drove into the parking lot and parked. Two men jumped out of the side door and dragged out another body with a bag over his head and pushed him out on to the pavement before jumping back in the vehicle and speeding off.

Helen, in a flash, jumped out of the car, the sound of her car door slamming jarring Henry out of his snooze. Kate hopped out of the car too, following close behind Helen, her gun poised, just in case.

Helen ran over to the body. He sat on his knees, his hands tied behind his back. His shoulders shook with the dank cold, all he wore was a set of hospital scrubs, white and thin, his small frame practically swimming in it.

"Nikola!" Helen reached him and yanked off the black bag covering his head. Relief washing over her as familiar blue-grey eyes blinked back at her.

"Helen?" Nikola blinked.

Helen smiled and grasped his head gently.

"It's me, I'm here," Helen smiled widely.

"Where am I?"

"It doesn't matter, we're going home," Helen pressed a kiss into his forehead.

"I..."

"We'll talk about it later, let's get out of here," Helen grabbed one of his arms.

Kate tucked her gun into her waistband and helped with the other arm, hoisting Nikola to his feet.

"My head," Nikola groaned slightly.

"It's okay," Helen cooed softly as they gently helped him to the car. "Everything is going to be ok."

_**~~~~Earlier~~~~**_

Nikola watched as Helen turned around on her heels and walked briskly out.

This was it. She'd finally done it; she'd abandoned him for the greater good. He always thought this would happen but never...never truly like this. Nikola's heart felt like it had sunk to his shoes.

He would never forgive her for this.

"Peter..." Sandra called sweetly.

Nikola turned with a scowl.

"You're not my mother!" he growled.

"Peter, that's enough!" scolded Paul.

"You're not my father either! I am one-hundred and fifty-eight years old! I was born in Serbia in my family home, with my sisters aiding the mid-wife! I am Nikola Tesla! This man is a fraud!"

"Oh Mr. Addison, what's wrong with him?" pleaded Sandra, grabbing Greg's hands in hers. "He was acting like this before he disappeared. I don't know what to do. He's not acting like my Peter!"

"Because I'm not! I am not Peter!" Nikola cried.

"Enough Peter!"

"Don't worry, this is just an unforeseen side effect to the treatment. My specialists know how to fix it, if you'll excuse us. My secretary will take care of all your needs." Addison looked at Nikola. "Come Peter, I have something to discuss with you."

Nikola glared at Addison warily. There was a subtle threatening look in his eyes that told Nikola not to push him too far in front of the innocent couple. Though anyone who would trust their beloved child in the hands of someone so obviously ambiguous qualified as an ignorant fool in his mind.

"Fine," Nikola ground out through gritted teeth.

"Just relax," Addison smiled at the couple. "Peter will be all right. I assure you."

Sandra nodded and Paul gave a stiff jerk of his head, taking his wife's hand and leading her to the couches.

Nikola grumbled and walked past them and past Addison into the stairwell. Addison followed, directing Nikola to go up the stairs.

The ascent up to the third floor was quiet and tense, it drove Nikola almost to insanity. His fists were clenched hard and he was biting so hard on the inside of his cheek he was sure he would draw blood.

As they reached the third floor landing Addison stopped and turned to the eight year old coolly.

"You truly are too harsh to the people who so obviously care about you, Peter," Addison grinned.

"You may have convinced Helen that I am Peter but I'll believe it when I see it," Nikola crossed his arms. "I don't buy it, not for a second."

"You don't trust me?" Addison acted mock-offended.

"Hah!" Nikola scoffed. "I've worked for you remember. I know what you're up to."

"What is that exactly?"

"I don't know the fine details, but I do know that your little spiel downstairs about repairing minds and real world applications was complete bull. You don't care about changing the world any more than I care about changing my tailor."

Addison laughed.

"You are highly perceptive for an eight year old."

"I'm not eight!" Nikola growled.

"I assure you was completely honest with your Dr. Magnus. Come," Addison unlocked the door and opened it, gesturing for Nikola to enter. "Come see the future at work."

Nikola glared at Addison but did as he was told.

Upon entering the room he could see it had been recently retrofitted into a workable lab. He immediately recognized the Doctor standing in the middle of the room.

"Dr. Coates," Nikola sighed, his scowl deepening. "I should've known. Old grudges die hard."

Dr. Coates cleared her throat. "Nikola."

"You know what they say, never date your coworkers," Nikola mocked. "You'll wake up one day with your brain in the body of an eight year old."

"Nice to see you again, Nikola."

"Oh yes, I'm sure," Nikola mumbled bitterly. "So, what do you want me to do? Lie down, let you pick me apart or what have you?"

Nikola looked over to the other body on the table.

"If you could just..." Dr. Coates started awkwardly.

"Fine, let's get this over with so we can prove the validity of Addy's promises."

Addison smirked slightly, trying to suppress a chuckle.

Nikola immediately marched over to the table and gestured to Coates to aid him onto it. She awkwardly picked him up from under his armpits and sat him atop the gurney. Nikola looked over, once again, to the body lying opposite him.

"Wait...that's not me," Nikola pointed at the body. "You said you were returning me to my body. You said that you were telling the truth to Helen!"

Addison's smirk grew. "I was...mostly." Addison gestured to Coates. "Send him in."

Coates nodded and left through a separate door, returning moments later followed by a familiar face.

Nikola stared into his own eyes, his real eyes, dumbfounded.

"That's me."

"It is indeed," clapped Addison.

"Then who is that?"

"An employee of mine," Addison answered vaguely, his smirk still growing.

"What is going on, Addison?" Nikola barked.

"Everything I said about the Psychworm and the mind-weaving is completely true. And yes, even the idea of its real world applications itself was not a complete lie. I just failed to mention our true intentions. We've been planning this ever since the knowledge of the Psychworm came into our hands. How do we get someone behind enemy lines? We couldn't recruit an abnormal, too unpredictable, no loyalty. We couldn't fake it either. Why not someone that the great Dr. Magnus trusts implicitly?"

"Me?"

"Yes. You were the perfect test subject."

"This...this wasn't about me at all, was it? You were after Helen, you were always after Helen."

"He's catching on."

"And he's..." Nikola pointed at his true form now standing blankly in front of him.

"The perfect under cover operative. Fueled by your own mind. He'll have access to your memories, your habits, your likes and dislikes, maybe even your love for Helen, all the while he will be secretly feeding us information. And you...you will go back to fueling Peter's mind. He will consume your mental strength until he is strong enough to think on his own and he will truly live a long happy life as himself, with only a faint hint of the great Nikola Tesla in his brain. And Carl here, well he is a trained spy, a volunteer, he has no family, no wife, no children, he will undoubtedly have a hell of time living for another 150 years in your shoes."

Nikola saw himself smile wryly. His stomach twisted as a wave of dread washed over him.

"You can't do this!"

"For the greater good, I certainly can. You abnormals are a scourge and the only thing stopping me from wiping every last one of you out is your miraculous properties. The power to read people's minds, control people's actions, shape-shifting, flame-throwing, flying and longevity! Why do you get these powers and we don't? What makes you so special?"

Nikola sneered. "I was just born that way."

Addison laughed heartily.

"Ah yes, the immortal vampire. But you weren't born that way. Yes it was in your genes but you did not come tearing out of your mother with claws and fangs, you were human just like the rest of us. It is through pure chance; a chance encounter, a chance friendship, a chance experiment that has made you the way you are."

"Chance or not I'm still a better scientist than you," Nikola huffed.

"If the Cabal hadn't destroyed that source blood we'd be having a different discussion."

"You're right, because I would be destroying it," Nikola hissed.

"For what purpose? For Helen's little girl?"

Nikola's mouth moved up and down wordlessly at the accusation.

"She's not even yours Nikki, why do you care...ah yes of course, it's because of your love for Helen. A sad little love that she doesn't even return," Addison snickered. "Why do you try so hard for a woman who will never love you?"

Nikola glowered at him and clenched his fists.

"The deal is simple Nikola. You cooperate and I will never touch Helen, she, and her Sanctuary, will live on. Your replacement will be nothing more than a set of eyes and ears so I can keep tabs on her but she will never be harmed, you have my word."

"Your word is meaningless," Nikola spat.

"I swear to you, this time. He will replace you in every way, she will never know the difference and she will continue on happily, thinking she has won. I'll even stay clear of her path for the most part. In exchange for that you become Peter, you live Peter's life and when the time comes...I'll have use for you again. When you inherit your father's legacy."

Nikola averted his gaze momentarily.

"How do I know you aren't just telling me this to get me to do what you want?"

"Because if you don't I'll have him kill her, and I will let you watch helplessly as your own body takes her life."

Nikola's fists clench tighter.

Addison smiles slightly.

"What's the harm, Nikola? As I said, it's not like she loves you, this way you are doing her a favor. Isn't that what you've always wanted...to be her hero?"

Nikola met Addison's eyes with a fierce glare then suddenly he let out a defeated sigh. "What do I have to do?"

Addison smiled. "Dr. Coates here will lead you through everything. I must go downstairs and talk some more with the Ingolls, pertaining to your treatment. I'll be back when you're finished. I also have a gift I need to send to your beloved Helen. Come!" Addison waved over the man in Nikola's true form. The two of them left, exiting through the stairwell.

Nikola felt like lungs were tightening in his chest. He knew Helen should never have left him here, he knew they shouldn't have trusted Addison. Nikola should've sliced Addison into ribbons the moment the slimy toad approached him offering him a job a year and a half ago. Now he was stuck. If he refused Helen was in danger, but if he allowed it to happen she still could be at risk. This was all his fault.

_"Remember our plan."_

Nikola's fists clenched again.

"Nikola, if you would just..." Dr. Coates started and Nikola shot a glare at her.

"You are better than this!" he hissed at her. "Is this all because I spurned you?"

Coates jumped a little at his biting tone.

"This was not my choice. I had to prove my loyalty and this was the way to do it."

Nikola scoffed, swinging his legs on to the gurney and lying back.

"We were never going to work," he muttered bitterly.

"I know," Coates sighed.

"You are against everything I stand for."

"This is my job, Nikola! God, after what you did to me I deserve to have some kind of loyalty, some kind of honesty!"

"Oh yes, Addison, the epitome of honesty!"

"At least he never used my feelings for his own personal gain!"

"I didn't...it wasn't like that."

"You let me believe that you cared for me, that there could have been a future for us and then suddenly, "poof"! You disappeared, without a word, running back into the arms of the one you truly cared about. Not even an apology or explanation for what you did."

Nikola looked away.

"I'm even the bigger fool for thinking that you might come back for me. I should've known, the way you talked about her, the way you acted when she was around. I was a poor imitation wasn't I?"

Nikola sighed. "Beverly...you have to understand...I've known Helen for over a century. I try to forget her because...because he's right, my love for her is a one-way street. I tried to forget her and fall in love with some one else, someone who I could talk with on an intellectual level, someone who could possibly fill a growing void within me. And I'm sorry Bev...it wasn't you, but I never used you, I never pretended to like you, I did like you, you were a wonderful distraction...but Helen...I've loved Helen for so long...you don't forget about something like that easily."

Nikola sat up and took Dr. Coates hand hesitantly.

"If I'd had time I would've told you, they discovered my deeds quicker than I had anticipated, but I had always intended to come clean to you, but they were on to me and I thought it best that...that you were mad at me to because then they wouldn't punish you for what I did."

Beverly looked at him for a long time, her expression unreadable.

"Say what you want, Nikola. I'm still going to do my job."

Nikola nodded. "I know." Nikola laid back. "Just make sure Addison keeps his word."

~~~~Author's Note~~~~

Muahaha! The plot thickens. Addison is a devious mother trucker ain't he?

Is this the end for Nikola! Has he truly lost...I don't know yet, I haven't written that far! You'll just have to wait and see!

Read and enjoy my lovelies!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Nikola was quiet, too quiet, at least for Helen's liking. He seemed a bit...out of it. She told herself that he was probably just confused, tired, maybe even drugged and once he was home cradling a glass of wine after a bath and maybe a good long sleep he'd be back to himself like he'd never left. Helen also had to remind herself that he would have no recollection of the past week, and that boy was just fueled by his supercharged memories.

Suffice it to say; the drive home was very awkward.

Henry drove, and Kate sat in the passenger seat texting. Helen sat in the back with Nikola, her eyes focused on his face as he blankly stared forward at the highway ahead of them.

"Are you ok, Nikola?" she asked softly.

Nikola barely blinked in acknowledgement.

"How are you feeling?" she kept prodding.

His eyes moved slightly, following some sort of invisible image, maybe he was trying to recall something, or work up the courage to say something.

Helen bit her lip slightly, remembering the precocious eight-year old who had sat across from her in her office and blatantly expressed his feelings, or at least, he thought they were his feelings.

Maybe the real Nikola was not as bold as the the boy with his memories was.

"Do you need anything? Nikola?"

As if a barrier had broke, his eyes narrowed into focus and he suddenly turned his head and smiled at her.

"Helen," he said.

The look he gave her was almost comforting, if a little eery. There was a flash of the old Nikola she knew.

"I'm sorry, I must've zoned out. Did you say something?"

Helen smiled cautiously.

"I was wondering if you needed anything?"

"No," he shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. I'm fine now that I'm back with you, now that I know you are safe." His hand gently moved over to clasp hers.

His gestures were both a relief and yet oddly wrong, or, maybe insincere. She couldn't tell. His behavior was very disconcerting. Maybe Addison had not returned him as whole as he'd promised. Maybe prolonged exposure to the Psychworm's effects had done more damage than Addison had thought. Maybe half his soul was trapped in the body of a frightened little boy that she willfully abandoned in the hands of a clearly manipulative man. Maybe she was letting her guilt feed her doubt.

Helen squeezed Nikola's hand.

"It's all right, I'm safe, we're both safe," she tried to sound confident, but it was tough when she wasn't all together sure.

"I know," he murmured, squeezing her hand back.

"Do you remember anything at all?" Helen asked, shifting closer to him.

"No," Nikola shrugged. "It all feels kind of like a vague dream. If I remember anything at all it's a blur, a distant noise or an odd flash in my memory, but nothing concrete. I can barely believe I've been out of it for six months."

Helen watched his brow furrow as he tried to piece it all together.

"I barely remember them waking me up and putting that bag over my head," Nikola sighed and leaned back in his seat. "It wasn't until you were touching me that I could even comprehend it wasn't a dream. I'm still not completely sure."

Helen gave him a sympathetic half smile.

"What did they do to me?" Nikola met her gaze.

"We don't know for sure, I'm hoping to examine you when we get back to the Sanctuary."

"Right...we blew up the last one."

"With your help."

"Do you remember anything before that?"

"Uhhh...it's all still a little fuzzy. I can't say for sure."

"Before the explosion?"

"Um, we were fighting off those enemy abnormals...you were in the lab, I went down to see you, we...talked I think, then I left..."

Something nicked in Helen. "We...talked?"

"Yes, I don't remember what about."

"Did we do anything else?"

"Uhh...no. Not that I can remember."

Helen sat back a little and nodded.

"I'm tired," Nikola sighed and rested his head in his hands.

"We're almost there," chirped Henry from the driver's seat. "Oh...well, um..."

"What is it?" Helen sat up, concern etched on her face.

"Nothing, really, we just need to stop at the next gas station," Henry said sheepishly.

Kate snorted slightly and returned to playing on her phone.

Helen relaxed slightly.

"I see," she mumbled.

Nikola did not even look up from his hands. Helen chewed her bottom lip in thought.

"How far is the next stop?" she asked.

Kate perked up and tapped away at her phone furiously. "Less than a mile!" She called back triumphantly, handing back her phone to show Helen. Helen glanced at it and nodded.

"We can stop there, Henry."

"We're gonna have to Doc, otherwise we're going to stop anyways."

"Can we get snacks?" asked Kate.

"Nikola would you like anything?"

Nikola didn't look up. "Wine if they have it."

Helen smiled slightly, at least some things never change.

"I don't think so," Helen rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Water will be fine then," he sighed.

Helen bit her lip again.

The car pulled into the gas station quietly. Henry hopped out and began filling up the car, Kate got out on the other side heading straight for the convenience.

Helen looked at Nikola one last time before getting out of the car herself and walking over to stand by Henry.

"Hey Doc."

"Henry, I want you to take us to the safe house," Helen said quietly, near the younger man's ear.

"Why?"

"I want to be sure Nikola is truly ok, that SCIU didn't put something in him, in his brain, to lead him straight to my Sanctuary. We're going to go there and just for now act like it's our base of operations. I will send a message to Will to put the Sanctuary's activities on temporary lockdown until we are sure."

"Um, ok. But if I may ask...why?

Helen looked through the glass of the car at Nikola's form.

"He doesn't remember me kissing him. Nikola would never forget that."

"Doc, he's just been released. He's a bit confused, you're over-reacting."

"Peter was supposedly infused with his memories and he said he remembered that, like it was yesterday! I'm not saying that isn't Nikola, I'm just saying, I don't trust SCIU to just give him back without a catch."

Henry nodded finally in agreement.

"I don't care how he looks, Nikola would never forget kissing me," Helen sighed and crossed her arms. "We need to keep a close eye on him."

_**~~~~Elsewhere~~~~**_

Paul and Sandra Ingolls sat in the shining white waiting room, hands entwined and nervous looks on their faces.

They had been waiting for what felt like days, possibly more. All they wanted was their little boy back. Really back, how he was before...before all this happened.

What happened to their son before was distressing. He became...not necessarily violent, but starkly different to who he was. The child was angry and spoke of things they didn't understand. Sandra felt like she was living out her own Exorcist experience. "Any moment now, pea soup," she kept saying to herself.

"Don't worry, Sandy, once they're done with him he'll be right as rain, just like he used to be."

Sandy nodded, smiling weakly at her husband. "Yes, right as rain."

The door opened suddenly and the two immediately launched to their feet, turning expectantly.

Addison entered with a confident smile, leading in the small boy by a hand.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ingolls," he said proudly. "Here is your son."

Peter looked at them and suddenly his face broke into a wide grin and he let go of Addison's hand and ran towards the couple.

"Mummy!" he exclaimed.

He wrapped his arms around her legs and hugged tightly. It took Sandra by surprise, especially by how he'd treated her before.

"P-Peter?" she looked down, absolutely shocked.

"I missed you," he looked up at her. She could cry at the look in his eyes. She hadn't seen it since her son fell ill.

"Peter!" Sandra leant down and wrapped the boy in her arms, kissing the side of his head.

"The procedure was a marvelous success!" Addison smiled, clasping Paul Ingoll's shoulder. "He is as he should be. But...let me know of any odd behavior in the next few weeks...in case he should relapse. It's a delicate balance."

Addison briefly looked over at Dr. Coates who watched from the door, hands clasped in front of her. He gave her an appreciative nod before turning back the man in front of him.

Paul nodded firmly and shook Addison's hand, before kneeling down with the rest of his family. "Let's get you home, buddy."

_**~~~~Later, In New City~~~~**_

There was a small residential area on the far side of town, across from the river. The homes were newly renovated two story box houses originally constructed in the eighties, now made up into modern-looking luxury homes with pristine manicured lawns and Japanese rock gardens. Helen had purchased the house during her 113 year long stint in hiding, she had used it as a safe house ever since, especially since she learned the house overlay right above the sewer lines. With the new renovations being made to the buildings it was the perfect opportunity to create an escape hatch, either to or from the Sanctuary below. It was one of her favorite little ideas, almost for the exact purpose of something like this. Addison could find this house and rip it to shreds looking for evidence of the whereabouts of her new Sanctuary but all he would find were recent issues of Cosmo, and some tasteful Ikea furniture.

Until she could trust that Nikola was truly there, and not under some manipulation of Addison's, this house would be the perfect place to keep a watchful eye on him.

A quick text to Will had all their stuff put in the rooms, strewn about to look lived in. The kitchen staff provided some dishware that was half put away in the cupboard, some left in the sink, and some loaded in the dishwasher. Towels were put in the bathroom, jackets hung in the closet and even Henry's XBOX was installed with his game collection nearby. It looked lived in enough to be realistic while clean enough to match up to Magnus's rigorous tidiness.

From the first step through the door it was almost hard for Henry and Kate themselves to believe they hadn't been crashing here for the past six months.

"Where's the Sanctuary?" Nikola asked.

"This is it...well for now."

"I don't understand."

"I blew up the Sanctuary Nikola, remember. We have to rebuild before we can function properly again."

"So the abnormals are?"

"Scattered here and there, safe but hidden."

Nikola nodded.

"I see."

Helen watched him carefully as he looked around.

"There is a room upstairs for you," she reached her hand out for him. "I can show you if you like."

Nikola looked at her hand then at her.

"I'll take a look in a minute, I just need to...get my bearings. Is there a washroom down here?"

Helen nodded and pointed in its direction, worrying her lip between her teeth. Nikola usually could never resist the opportunity for a lewd suggestion, even if it was perfectly inappropriate to do so. She had given him a perfect opening with that suggestion, a perfect prompting for him to smile the way he does, give her that playful leer that reminds her how wonderfully desirable she still is. Then the way he steps closer to her, knowingly on the edge of her personal space, a small inhalation of her scent, a hand ghosting up her arm or on her hip. The words are spoken in a teasing manner, as he tries to portray with his entire body what the night could be like. Sex-filled and mysterious, and maybe something more. That is the Nikola she knew. In all 200 years she has known him he had not changed, at least in this one small aspect. Ever since he met her and developed his never ending crush for her. He took every opportunity on the off chance of that one time when she takes him up on it, he keeps trying in the hopes that she will come around to him and finally see what was behind all those years of flirty banter. Even in an eight year old body that didn't belong to him, he could not hide his joy, his fear, or his love from her, because it was all for her.

Helen clenched her fist.

Addison, that bastard!

Nikola suddenly appeared behind her.

"Helen," he said softly. "I would like to see my room now."

Helen straightened herself up and inhaled a deep breath.

"Of course, right this way," she turned and plastered on a fake smile.

The walk up the stairs was tense and uncomfortable, and luckily only witnessed by the pair of them.

On her order Kate and Henry went to pick up a "pizza".

Nikola walked behind her so he couldn't see the burning anger in her face.

"Helen?"

She quickly masked herself turning to him with softer features.

"Here we are," Helen opened the door for him.

"It's nice," Nikola peered inside.

"I'll have some fresh suits brought over for you in the morning, for now, Henry has graciously donated a t-shirt and sweatpants for your sleeping comfort." Helen tried to sound teasing. She couldn't give herself away. Not yet. There was still something she could gain from this.

Nikola gave her nothing. Not even a disdainful sneer or displeased grimace. Nikola loathed sweatpants as a general principle. "Sweatpants are appropriate clothing choices for trailer trash and hobos," he had once said upon seeing Will and Henry sitting in the lounge playing video games.

There was one last test for her to give.

"Is there anything else you might need...anything?" Helen took a wary step towards him, a hand reaching out to rest against his chest. He looked down at the hand in confusion.

"Helen, what are you-"

As soon as his head came up she was on him, kissing him, pressing him into the doorframe. To his credit the shock wore off quickly and he kissed her back. He kissed wrong, he held her wrong, even his taste was somewhat off.

Things she knew deep down in the very core of her: The loss of a child;

The pain of watching so many loved ones wither and perish; the excitement of a new discovery; the joy of motherhood; and the way Nikola Tesla felt when he kissed her.

Two centuries of stolen kisses, shared trysts, and near misses ingrain something like that on to your very soul.

This was not that. Helen had spent six months obsessing about that moment right before the Sanctuary blew up, when she had kissed him. She went over every detail, every slide of lip against lip, every finger on every hand as it slid against her skin.

The look in his eyes as she pulled away, the taste of his almost transparent love and adoration on the tip of her lips just as she pulled the trigger, closed her eyes, and envisioned what she would do if he was waiting on the other side.

He knew. Peter knew. That eight year old boy, who she had never met before, who supposedly only harbored supercharged memories knew, with every breath he had voiced Nikola's true feelings: love fear, and hopes.

Kissing this Nikola, or whoever he was, was like putting your lips to a dead jellyfish.

She pulled back, her eyes meeting his as the both fought to catch her breath.

"I love you," she said breathlessly.

"Oh," he responded. His eyes gave nothing away.

That was it. The confirmation she needed.

This man, was not Nikola.

"I'll let you get settled in," she stepped away from him.

"Ok."

"Dinner should be here within the hour."

Fake-Nikola nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll downstairs if you need me," she turned and marched down the stairs. Trying to look as calm and collected as possible as she walked away. She couldn't act out of character. Obviously the man had enough of Nikola's memories to know if she was acting strangely, but one thing Addison did not know about the two of them: it all came down to the subtleties.

Helen paused. This meant that the real Nikola was still in that little boy. She really had abandoned him, walking straight into Addison's little trap.

Well, she would get Nikola back, and in the meanwhile use her new friend to hand Addison a taste of his own medicine.

~~~~Author's Notes~~~~

New Chapter! Sorry for the wait! Enjoy my lovelies!


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